Change
by xEdwardAnthonyMasenx
Summary: Edward wishes he could be human for Bella, so he wouldn't have to risk hurting her anymore. He wishes he could be human so he could live a long and happy life with her. But what happens when that wish comes true? Rated T for occasional limes. Please R&R!
1. The Prayer

**I'm back! An idea just shot out at me from out of the blue and I thought it might make a good series. Here's a little pilot for it, and let me know if I should do this one or do "The Unknown" instead. It's Edward's POV right now, but it might alternate between him and Bella in later chapters. **

**Here's a brief summary: Edward wishes he could be human for Bella, so he wouldn't have to risk hurting her anymore. He wishes he could be human so he could live a long and happy life with her. But what happens when that wish comes true? Will he stay a human for Bella, or will he return to immortality?**

**This takes place between Twilight and New Moon. Remember, if Edward is human, then there's no need for him to leave. =)**

**This is called "Change".**

Bella and I lay strewn across her bed, staring into each others eyes. It was 12:30 at night, and I had just entered her room through the window after hearing Charlies awaited snores. We hadn't really spoken yet, but there was no need. Sometimes, it felt good to just sit in silence with Bella, staring into her chocolate brown eyes and knowing how much she loved me. And how much I loved her.

She leaned closer to me and kissed my collarbone softly. I pressed my face into her hair and sighed. It was so easy to be with her now.

She moved her lips to my neck and I kissed her head lightly, wrapping my arms tightly around her.

"I love you." I whispered into her hair.

Her cheeks warmed and the blood rushed to her face. My throat burned at the scent and I cursed at myself in my head. I still wasn't getting any better at this.

How I wished I could be a human for this girl. How I wished I could kiss her passionately without having to worry about my teeth getting too close to her face. If I were human, everything would be easier.

She pulled away from my neck and looked up at my sad expression. She placed her fingers on my cheek and smiled.

"I love you too." she whispered.

And then she was leaning up. I braced myself, holding my breath as I always did when she kissed me. I leaned down as well and lightly touched my lips to hers, creating a loving, sweet kiss. I pulled away after a few seconds, not wanting to push my restraint too far.

She looked up at me hungrily, wanting more. I sighed internally. So much I wanted to give her, but couldn't.

"You should sleep." I whispered.

"Tomorrow is Saturday." she replied, leaning back up. "I can sleep late."

I sighed out loud this time and carefully pushed her away with both my hands. She scowled at me in the darkness.

"You know I want to kiss you." I whispered. "But I don't know how much self-control I have, Bella."

"You have plenty." she argued quietly.

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I love you more than anything, my Isabella. That's why I can't be physically passionate with you. I wouldn't be able to stand it if I ever hurt you."

She sighed but leaned back onto her pillow in defeat. I combed my fingers through her hair, curling one hand around the left side of her face. I knew what to do to get her to go to sleep.

"Do I have to dazzle you?" I murmured, leaning down slightly.

"I really wish you wouldn't." she mumbled.

I smiled and blew my breath lightly into her face. I kissed both her cheeks, her forehead, the tip of her nose, and then one tiny peck on her lips before I breathed lightly into her ear. "Goodnight, my Bella."

She was temporarily dazzled for a few moments. That was enough time for her to realize she was tired. I was right. In a few moments she was sleeping like a baby.

I quietly hummed her lullaby, still combing my fingers through her hair. This beautiful girl lying beside me knew that I loved her, but she didn't realize how much.

I yearned to feel the feelings that a normal man should feel when staring at the woman he loved. I wanted to feel taken aback, breathless, scared...

The only thing I felt was that I had to be careful. That was it. Vampires couldn't feel human emotions.

And that brought me back to my wish. To be a human for my Bella and love her like a normal man should. To kiss her, hold her, and make love to her. I wanted it all, and I couldn't have it.

"Edward.." she mumbled in her sleep.

I smiled and kissed her cheek lightly. It had become a habit of mine to kiss her whenever she said my name in her sleep. Which was often.

"Edward... I love you so much..." she continued.

I kissed her again and pressed my nose to her hair, breathing in the scent of the most amazing smell of freesia mixed with the smell of mouthwatering food. I held her tightly to me.

"I love you Isabella Marie Swan..." I whispered. "I wish I could be by your side until the day you die.. that I could die with you... and meet you again in heaven..."

That gave me a sudden idea.

I carefully pulled my hands away from her and swung my legs over the bed. I quietly walked to the end of her bed and got down on my knees.

I hadn't prayed since my human life. As a vampire, believing that I had no soul meant that I wasn't a firm believer that God would give our kind an afterlife. It felt weird, pressing my hands together and closing my eyes. The last time I'd prayed was in the hospital the day my mother died...

"_She's passed." I heard a doctor whisper beside me to a nurse. "Elizabeth Masen died this morning."_

_I shut my eyes tight, feeling the tears brimming to the surface. My mother. My beautiful, loving mother was dead. I'd known she would die. My father had died weeks ago and I knew that we would follow after._

_It was just a shock. To feel the love and compassion given to me by my mother leaving my body. To feel the heartbreak in my chest as the doctor discussed what had happened with the nurse. She was already in the morgue._

_The tears spilled and I let out a quiet sob. A nurse ran over to me and put her hand in mine._

"_I'm so sorry, Edward." she whispered. "There was nothing we could do."_

_That was the first time I'd really ever... cried. Being in the war... it had toughened me up... made me a man. Crying felt good in a weird way, finally letting my emotions out._

_The nurse held my hand for a very long time as I sobbed. I felt so weak... so tired. I knew that my time would soon be up. I would soon be in heaven. Would my parents be there? Would God bring me to them?_

_The nurse left me alone a couple hours later, having to help another patient. There was only one person I could turn to now._

_I pressed my hands together and closed my eyes._

"_Dear God, please let me find my parents again in heaven." I prayed, my voice barely audible. "Please let them know that I'm coming. Tell them I love them. I don't want to die, God. But I know I will. I will see you in heaven soon. Thank you, dear Lord."_

_And then my bed was being wheeled away by a doctor with blond hair and pale skin... maybe he would be able to save me..._

I shook away the memory and focused on my new prayer. My new plea to God. Sometime entirely different compared to what I had prayed for over a century ago.

"Dear God" I whispered, trying not to wake Bella up. "If you can hear this prayer, please listen. I am in love with a girl named Isabella Swan. She is my whole world, what keeps me here. I ask you... no... I _beg _you, to give me mortality. For I am a vampire, who has fallen hard for a beautiful human girl. I know that I don't deserve it, that I don't have a soul... but please, dear Lord. Please let me be a human for this woman. I love her so much and I want to be able to give her everything I can. I want to be human for her. I know that 'want' is a strong word, but... I don't just want humanity. I need it. I need it if I will ever have a chance at fully grasping the love I have for this girl. Please, God. Please... amen."

I slowly opened my eyes and sighed. It was worth a try at least. Maybe my prayers would be answered... or maybe they wouldn't.

I got up from the floor and laid back on the bed beside my Bella, watching her chest move up and down with her breathing. I twisted strands of her hair between my fingers, braiding and unbraiding it until it was a wavy mess of brown. She'd probably be a bit mad at me in the morning... but it didn't matter. A moment later she would be kissing me like she always did. So stubborn.. but so forgiving. Perfect.

I watched her sleep until dawn. That's when I heard Charlie grunt in the other room and get up from his bed. I placed a sweet kiss on her forehead and left through her window.

"Hey, Edward." Alice greeted me when I arrived home. "Have a nice night?"

I nodded. "Bella mumbled a few things. She mentioned something about wanting 'girl time'. You should probably start planning something."

Alice's face lit up. "Right away!" she exclaimed, darting up the stairs.

I chuckled and ran at vampire speed up to my bedroom. I heard Emmett and Rose talking in their bedroom... Carlisle and Esme were in the backyard doing gardening. It never ceased to amaze me, the things my father did for my mother. He hated gardening.

Once inside my room, I sat down on the leather couch and picked up a book from the floor, turning the pages quickly to find where I had left off. It was a book of poems. The one I was looking at now was a classic, one of the finest love poems every written.

"_How do I love thee? Let me count the ways._

_I love thee to the depth and breadth and height_

_My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight_

_For the ends of Being and ideal Grace._

_I love thee to the level of everyday's_

_Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight._

_I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;_

_I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise._

_I love thee with passion put to use_

_In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith._

_I love thee with a love I seemed to lose_

_With my lost saints, - I love thee with the breath,_

_Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,_

_I shall but thee better after death._"

"_Elizabeth Barrett Browning_"

I almost laughed aloud at the irony. "_My soul can reach_", "_smiles, tears, of all my life_" and "_I shall but thee better after death_"... everything that could never happen for me. If this was love, then I sure wasn't doing it right.

I slammed the book shut and flung it across the room. It hit the wall, leaving a large crack. Oops.

If I was a human, the book would have merely bounced off the wall. If I was a human, that poem would have made sense!

"ARRGHH!" I exclaimed, almost pulling my hair out in frustration.

The whole family was in the room in less than a second. Esme ran over to me, her arms held wide.

"What's the matter, Edward?" she asked, worried.

I flinched away from her hug and shook my head. "Nothing... I'm just.. frazzled."

"_Idiot. If he wasn't with the human then he'd be fine_." Rosalie's thoughts yelled at me.

I rolled my eyes and turned to the rest.

"Just... leave me alone." I sighed. "I need peace."

"Of course, son." Carlisle said, turning to the others. "Come, let's leave Edward to his thoughts."

Alice gave me on confused look but followed everyone out. I stayed standing, letting my thoughts take over.

Please! Please God just let me be human! For her! For my Bella!

**So that was a pilot for this series called "Change". Should I continue it instead of doing "The Unknown"? Please tell me! And please review! I'd love to hear what you think about this story!**

**I'll be posting more of "Death In Biology" soon. =)**


	2. Thank You, God

**Wow! I got so much positive feedback on the first chapter! Thank you so much! Here's chapter 2 for you guys! Please review! =D**

**This is still Edward's POV.**

I sat in my room all morning, thinking about what I could do. If I wasn't human, how could I ever continue my relationship with Bella? How on Earth would it work?

My cell phone buzzed on the floor and I picked it up, flipping it open.

"_Just got up_._ You coming over soon? Love you. Bella._" it read.

I didn't bother texting back. I'd be there in less than 5 minutes. I jumped out my window and started running, loving the feeling of freedom. I had to say.. if I ever became human, I sure would miss the inhuman speed that came with being a vampire.

I arrived at Bella's house, climbing up the side and entering her open window. She wasn't in here... I listened for a moment and I heard her humming to herself as she brushed her hair in the bathroom. I smiled to myself and sat in the rocking chair to wait.

I found myself pressing my hands together again, hoping for some slim chance that God was listening... "Please God... make me a human for this girl. I love her more than anything else in my world." I murmured.

I heard the bathroom door open and I quickly pulled my hands apart, opening my eyes. Bella entered the room, wearing that beautiful blue blouse that I adored, along with a pair of jeans. Her hair was down, flowing around her shoulders nicely. She smiled when she saw me.

"Hey." she said, walking over.

I opened my arms wide and she jumped into them, burying her face in my neck.

"Hello, my Bella." I whispered in her ear." How are you this morning?"

She pulled away. "Pretty good. I'm a bit tired though. I woke up a 6:00 this morning and I couldn't fall asleep again."

I frowned. "Would you like to sleep now?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, that's ok. It was probably just because you weren't there. I'm not as tired as I was."

Because I wasn't there. The words rang through my head. Bella needed me. But I couldn't be there for her all the time... because I wasn't a human.

Her lips were moving on mine for a few seconds, as I tangled my fingers through her soft hair, holding my breath. Her lips were so warm and soft... and mine were cold and hard. How did she even like kissing me?

I pulled away and pressed my forehead against hers.

"So... what are we doing today?" I asked her, kissing the tip of her nose and smiling slightly.

She shrugged. "That project for Mr. Banner is due Monday. I'm almost done but I have to edit the written part."

We were on the other side of the room in less than a second, right in front of the computer. Bella giggled in my arms and kissed my shoulder lightly.

"How about I edit it for you... and you go get some breakfast." I said, flicking on her ancient computer.

She bit her lip and I raised my eyebrows.

"Bella, it will be finished in 5 minutes if I do it." I reassured her. "And I really don't mind."

She sighed and nodded. "Ok. I'll be back up in a few minutes." she said, placing a kiss on my cheek and walking out of the room..

"Miss you." I called out reflexively, turning to the computer.

"Miss you more!" she said back.

I chuckled and waited for the computer to turn on. Once it was, I went to her documents and was about to click "Biology Project" when something else caught my eye. "Edward".

I looked towards the door. Would she mind me looking? Of course she would. But would that stop me? It should.

But it didn't.

I clicked the "Edward" folder and it opened. There wasn't many things there... a few song quotes and some poems describing our love. I smiled when I saw the definition of "vampire" typed at the bottom of one page.

I scrolled down and stopped at the 2nd page, my eyes widening a bit. She'd written an acrostic poem about me...

E is for Everything he means to me

D is for the Dreams about him that fill my head every night

W is for the Wonder I feel when I touch his beautiful, cool skin

A is for how he is Always there for me

R is for how Romantic he is, and he doesn't even realize it.

D is for how I would Die for him

My mouth was gaping at the last line. She would _die_ for me?

I needed to be able to die for her too. I needed to be human. I needed it. Right. Now.

I opened a new document and typed "Be back in a few minutes. Need to clear my head. I love you." across the screen.

I was out the window in less than a second.

I found myself running through the woods by her house, my fingers pressed to my temples. Turn me into a human. Turn me into a human. Let me be human! Please! I stopped in the middle of the forest and pressed my hands to my sides. I brought my face up to the sky... and screamed. Screamed louder than I had screamed in my entire life. Louder than I'd screamed when I'd transformed into a vampire.

The birds in the trees flew away, the animals hid in the bushes, and I'm pretty sure I heard Bella exclaim "Holy Crow!" inside her home.

I stopped screaming and purposely fell onto the ground, staring at the sky. The rocks and twigs on the ground didn't hurt me. This still felt like lying on a comfortable bed.

I stared up at the sun, scowling. Why couldn't I have been born the year Bella was born? Why couldn't I have been a human and _stayed _a human?

Why couldn't God answer this _one_ prayer?

I shut my eyes tight and tried to clear my head... wanting to hear only one voice. I listened intently, and I found Bella's silent thoughts again. I could hear her footsteps as she walked up her staircase though... I could hear the worry in her breath as she ran faster and faster to her room.

"Edward?" I heard her ask.

I heard her walk to the computer and close out of my little note with the mouse. I listened as she opened the window wide, and breathed in the fresh air. Her heartbeat was uneven. She knew that it had been my scream.

My eyes became more relaxed as I heard her sigh and flop onto her bed to wait for me. I heard her breaths become more even, and soon, a soft snore was coming from the back of her throat. I'd known she wanted to go back to sleep.

I laid on the ground for a long time, my eyes closed. I began to feel an odd tingling sensation in my fingertips. I passed it off as a bug crawling on me, and ignored it.

The tingling sensation was soon on my arms. It felt like rain... but it was warm. Maybe the sun was doing it. I ignored it again.

And then the oddest thing happened.

One second, I was listening to the sound of the wind in the trees and Bella's breathing, and the next second I was sitting in a grassy field on a blanket, Bella smiling beside me.

She talked about a few things. How she was nervous about a test that was coming up... how she had gotten a bad bruise on her arm from getting hit with a soccer ball in gym... and how she was really excited about our date tonight. I saw my plans for the night flash in my eyes... we were going to go to dinner, then take a walk in Port Angeles, and then come home. A feeling of warmth came over me as I imagined what would happen at home... every kiss... every touch... the morning...

I was getting very caught up in this odd thing that was happening, and I was shocked to return to hearing the wind in the trees again.

My eyes shot open and I yelped at the darkness. It was pitch black! I couldn't see a _thing_! I started getting up and was surprised at how off-balance I felt. I scrambled to my feet and almost fell back down again.

I listened hard to hear what Bella was doing. Was she worried? Had she gone out to look for me?

I couldn't hear her. I couldn't hear... _anything._ No thoughts of others filled my mind, or passing cars on the highway. All I could hear was the light breeze ruffling the leaves in the trees and the sounds of scurrying animals nearby.

My eyes were now adjusting to the darkness. I was now able to make out the shapes of the trees. I looked up in the sky and saw the pale moon directly above me. What did that mean? That it was midnight?

What was happening? Why couldn't I see? Why couldn't I hear?

I sniffed the air and I could smell damp moss and dirt. Though there were a few squirrels in the tree above me, I could smell no blood.

No blood.

And that's when it dawned on me. I took a deep breath and spoke aloud. "My name is Edward Cullen."

My voice was no longer a pure sound of ringing bells. It was husky and quiet.

To prove that this was really happening, there was one more test I had to make.

I pressed my hand to my chest. And I felt the heartbeat that I hadn't felt since 1918.

I was no longer a vampire. I was a human.

"Thank you, God." I whispered.

**Wow! I hope you liked chapter 2! I sure loved writing it. Please review with your thoughts! I love getting feedback from people! It inspires me to write more. =)**


	3. Reactions

**Here's chapter 3! I hope you like it! PLEASE REVIEW! :o**

I frantically began to run. I had to get out of here quickly and tell Bella I was alright.

Running was idiotic. After being used to not looking at my feet when I ran, I tripped up on a tree root and fell down. I cussed and stood back up, wiping myself off.

I noticed a bit of red dripping on my skin. I looked down and saw that a scrape had skidded through my knee, leaving a bloody gash.

I stared at it in amazement, sniffing the air. It didn't smell like anything. I gently touched it with my fingertip and I winced. It stung.

Tired, I flopped onto the ground.

"OW!" I exclaimed, standing back up again.

The twigs on the ground effected me now. They'd pretty much stuck right into my buttocks. Ouch.

I found a clean patch of moss and sat down. It wasn't that comfortable, but it gave me time to catch my breath. I breathed in and out slowly, watching my chest ease up and down.

I held my breath for a second, just to see the results. I couldn't hold it for long. I breathed out a gust of air and put my hand on my chest, feeling my quick heartbeat.

This was insane.

After catching my breath and gaining some energy, I stood up. It was time to get out of here and see Bella.

I stumbled my way through the woods, tripping occasionally and receiving more scrapes and cuts. I eventually made it out of the woods, and by that time I was freezing cold. It had started to rain and I was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans. I ran up the path to Bella's house and wasn't sure what to do. If I knocked, Charlie would be sure to answer it... but maybe not. Maybe he would stay asleep. If I knocked quietly enough.

I raised my fist to the door and knocked lightly 3 times. I waited a moment, hoping that only Bella had heard. Nobody came so I guess no one had heard at all.

I tried again, knocking a bit louder but not too loud. I was shaking from the cold and I was furiously rubbing my arms to cause some warmth. It wasn't working.

"Come on..." I groaned, knocking again, too loud this time.

I saw a light flick on inside and I squinted my eyes, trying to see through the window. The door opened and there stood Charlie, a grumpy expression on his face. His jaw dropped when he saw me.

"I-I need t-to g-get w-warm.." I stuttered, my teeth chattering.

He ushered me inside and shut the door behind me. He didn't say a word as he tiptoed back up the stairs and came back with a warm blanket.

"Go lie on the couch, Edward. You look terrible." he said seriously. "I'll turn the heat up."

Charlie Swan never treated me badly, but it was still a bit weird to see him care for me. I shuffled over to the couch and flopped onto it, pulling the blanket over me. I was so cold.

"What's going on, Dad?" I heard Bella's voice say in the kitchen.

"Edward just knocked on the door. He's freezing, Bells. Looks sick." Charlie replied. "He's on the couch."

I heard Bella enter the room and I quickly pulled the blanket over my head. This was not the way I'd wanted her to see me.

"Edward, what's wrong?" she whispered, running over.

I didn't speak. I didn't want her to hear the difference in my voice.

She ran her fingers up and down the blanket and reached for the top. "Did something happen?" she whispered frantically. "Did you get attacked?"

I was shaking so bad that her fingers literally fell off of me.

"I'm s-so cold." I whispered.

I heard her intake of breath at my husky voice.

"How are you cold?" she asked quietly. "I thought vampires didn't get cold."

I took a deep breath. It was now or never. I sat up and slowly pulled the blanket away from my face.

**Bella's POV**

I didn't understand what was going on. I was so scared all of a sudden. What had happened to Edward? Why was he shaking? And what was with his voice? It didn't sound anything like it usually did.

I watched him sit up and slowly take the blanket off his face. My jaw literally dropped.

It was not the pale skinned, golden eyed vampire I'd last seen. Now, his skin was a light pink, but a bit pale on his cheeks. His pale lips were now bright red, and his eyes... his eyes!

His eyes were a bright green, staring into mine warily. They were so beautiful, I could hardly speak.

"Y-you're... y-you're... y-you're-" I couldn't get the word out.

"Human." he finished for me, wrapping himself tighter in the blankets. "I know. I... I did it for you, Bella."

My eyes widened. "How?" I whispered.

"I prayed to God and he answered my prayer. I was in the woods... it started raining and I got really cold." he explained. "Do you have any bandages? My leg is bleeding really bad."

All I could do was slowly nod. I couldn't leave him though.

"Dad?" I called out. "Edward needs a band-aid."

"No problem!" Charlie replied, and I heard his footsteps going up the stairs.

I only had one chance at this. I quickly pulled the blanket off Edward and rolled up his jeans. I gaped at the gash in his knee, my head whirling.

"You shouldn't look at it. You'll get sick." he muttered, rolling it back down.

I looked back into his eyes. "You did this for _me_?" I whispered.

He nodded slowly. "I love you so much. I would do anything for you."

I felt the tears brimming in my eyes. He was so unselfish. So amazing.

"I love you too." I whispered, my voice a bit shaky.

I slowly lifted my arms and wrapped them around him. It was such an odd feeling. I was used to feeling hard, cold skin on mine. But instead, he was now warm and soft. I pressed my head into his shoulder and sighed.

"I can't believe it." I whispered.

I felt his hands trailing up and down my back lightly. "Neither can I." he replied. "And I definitely never expected to feel this happy. Everything is perfect now."

I smiled and lightly placed my lips on his warm neck, feeling his pulse vibrate. It was so... weird.

But a good weird.

"None of that!" I heard my Dad explain as he entered the room again.

I quickly pulled away from Edward and for the first time in my life, I watched his cheeks flush in embarrassment. I'd never thought of him as a blusher.

Charlie came over and Edward rolled up his pants leg, exposing the bloody gash. It looked painful.

"Oh, you've got it bad." Charlie muttered, grabbing a damp cloth and handing it to me.

I placed it on the cut lightly.

Edward winced. "Ow." he groaned.

"Don't be a baby." Charlie grumbled under his breath.

It was also the first time I'd seen Edward in pain. And I'd definitely never heard him say "ow".

"Sorry..." I murmured, wiping up the blood.

Charlie left the room, not wanting to see me so close to Edward. He was grumbling as he walked back up to his room.

It was a bit intimate as I cleaned his wound. He ran his fingers lightly through my hair and I slowly leaned in to kiss his knee. He laughed lightly.

I stuck the band-aid on it and rolled his pants leg back down. I looked back up at him and he was staring into my eyes.

"Your eyes..." I whispered, inching back up toward him. "They're so... different."

"I'm guessing that they're green?" he asked quietly, pulling me onto his lap. "I haven't gotten the chance to look in a mirror."

"Well then let's go see." I smiled, grabbing his hand.

Usually, this would have made no difference, but to my surprise (and secret pleasure) he actually slid a little off the couch from my strength.

"You're _strong_!" he exclaimed, standing up. "I never would have guessed it."

I rolled my eyes and pulled him after me up the stairs. Charlie was already snoring in his room.

"Go take a look." I told Edward, pushing him into the bathroom.

He smiled and me and then turned to look in the mirror. His eyes widened.

**Ooooo! What does Edward think of his new look? lol. Please review! =D**


	4. Unsure

**I'm baacckkk! Please review! Here's chapter 4! :)**

**Edward's POV**

I stared into the mirror, my eyes wide. It was exactly as I had looked in my human years. I leaned closer toward the mirror and stared at my green eyes, my flushed cheeks, my red lips. I groaned when I noticed something else.

"What is it?" Bella asked, walking over and placing her hands on my back.

I pointed at the mirror and then at myself. "The freckles are back." I sighed.

She looked closer and she smiled when she saw the large amount of freckles spread across my nose.

"You're still beautiful." she whispered, leaning forward to press her face against my chest. "What's so bad about freckles anyway?"

"I had them in my human life and people called me a ginger." I groaned. "Red hair, freckles, pale skin... ugh.."

She laughed and held me tighter to her. "I think you look wonderful." she said quietly. "Better than you did before."

I rolled my eyes and kissed the top of her head lightly. I breathed in and smiled. "It's so weird... I can't smell your blood at all."

She pulled away and grinned. "And that's a good thing... right?" she asked.

I smiled and nodded. "Of course, you silly girl." I chuckled. "Now you just smell like sweet flowers... mmm.. freesia..."

She playfully punched my arm and it was still surprising how I could feel the slight sting.

"Let's go to your room. I'm still freezing." I murmured in her ear.

She smiled and took my hand. We walked into her room and shut the door.

I immediately walked over to her bed and sat down. It was so comfortable. Bella brought the blankets up over me and smiled. She got in beside me and laid her head on my chest, her arms around my waist.

"You're so warm..." I whispered, cuddling up to her.

She blushed. "You are too." she said with a smile. "Really warm."

"Then why do I feel freezing?" I asked, bringing the blankets up around my shoulders.

She laughed and slowly rubbed my arms, causing friction. Soon, I was toasty warm. We lay there for a little while, staring up at the ceiling.

"Edward..." Bella whispered.

I turned to look at her. "Yes?" I replied, moving my face closer to hers.

She didn't say anything. She slowly brought her hands up to cradle my face, staring into my eyes. I knew what was happening, and I also knew that I no longer had to brace myself. I could kiss her forever and never feel the need to restrain.

She leaned up and gently pressed her lips to mine. I was amazed at how wonderful it felt, our warm lips moving together in harmony. It was a feeling that I had experienced long ago, in my human years. But of course, my first kiss was nothing like the way mine and Bella's was. That girl from 1916 who had shared my first kiss meant nothing to me. She was just a mere grain in the sands of time. Not important.

Bella was my now. My forever.

I kissed back and soon enough, it got a bit intense. I wasn't used to this, but it felt so right. Her fingers were knotting in my hair, our breathing uneven.

And then the door opened. We pulled away from each other and saw Charlie standing there with a dumbstruck expression on his face.

"I'd better go..." I said quietly getting up from the bed, my cheeks scarlet.

"Ok." Bella replied.

Without warning she pulled me back down and kissed me passionately, leaving me completely bewildered but enjoying it.

Charlie cleared his throat loudly and I got up, dazed.

"B-bye." I sighed dreamily, backing out the door.

I tripped over one of Bella's many books and laughed lightly, embarrassed. "Ok, _now _bye."

Bella's face was stuck in her pillow and she was shaking with silent laughter. I must seem pretty funny, but hey, I wasn't used to being so... mortal, yet.

Charlie was giving me the weirdest look but I didn't care.

"Do you need a ride home?" he said gruffly.

I was about to say no, but then I thought of the long, cold walk I would have to endure. I shivered slightly.

"Yes please." I muttered, walking down the stairs.

Charlie grabbed his jacket and quickly noted my bare arms.

"Need a coat?" he sighed, as if I should have asked for one myself.

"Yes please." I repeated.

He handed me that green sweater of Bella's and I stared at it for a second. I looked up at him.

"My other jacket is in the wash." he said innocently, a hint of a smile on his lips.

I rolled my eyes and pulled it over me. It was baggy on Bella, but it fit me perfectly. Too bad it was the ugliest sweater i've ever seen. She only wore it on really cold days.

We walked out to the cruiser and Charlie insisted that I sit in the back for "safety reasons". I'm pretty sure he just wanted to see me in the back of a police car again. He turned the key and we pulled out of the driveway. I saw Bella looking out her window and I blew her a kiss.

"I love you." I mouthed silently.

She smiled and blushed. "I love you more." she mouthed back.

I rolled my eyes, chucking quietly, and turned back to the front after she disappeared from view.

It was a quiet drive to my home. Charlie had the radio turned off and the rain was splattering the windows. The only sound was the occasional squeak from the windshield wipers.

We finally made it to the house and Charlie drove up the drive. I saw Alice looking out the window, a look of sheer confusion on her face. I guess she hadn't seen me become a human.

I pulled off the ugly sweater and threw it on to the back seat.

"Thank you, chief Swan." I said, nodding my head and opening the door. "Tell Bella I'll call her tomorrow."

He grunted but I wasn't sure if he would really pass on the message to her. I sighed and shut the door, slipping my hands in my pockets and shuffling through the grass. I walked up the front steps and opened the door.

No one was in the living room, so I quietly shut the door. Maybe I would be able to avoid explanations until tomorrow. I was pretty tired.

"What the hell?" a voice boomed.

I turned and saw Emmett standing there, frozen in shock.

Damn.

"Ummm... hello." I muttered, quickly trying to walk away.

I knew it was no use the moment I started walking. I was suddenly being pulled back into the living room by a pair of strong arms, and flung onto the couch.

"Jeez, Emmett!" I exclaimed, rubbing my arm. "That hurt!"

Everyone had already heard the sound of Emmett's surprise attack. Soon, many "wooshing" sounds were in the room, and then... there was silence. You could have heard a pin drop.

"Edward?" Carlisle whispered, dumbstruck.

I put my hand up and waved. "Hello..." I muttered, putting my hand back down.

"What happened?" Esme whispered, running over to me. "You're, you're-"

"_Human_." I heard Rosalie say from behind Emmett.

She pushed through the rest of the family and came into view. Her eyes were bright and a smile was playing at the corners of her mouth.

Ugh. Of course, now Rosalie would be bugging me to try and get me to turn her human. Great.

"But, how?" Jasper murmured, his eyes roaming my face as if the answer was there.

"And why?" Alice said, walking forward. "Why didn't I see this?"

"I guess you can't see God's future." I said quietly. "He did this for me. I asked him. I prayed."

"You _prayed_?" Emmett scoffed. "Since when do you _pray_?"

"Since I decided that I don't want to be a vampire anymore." I snapped, standing up. "I would do anything for Bella, and now i've done the biggest thing I could possibly do. Become a mortal."

"I told you." Carlisle said. "I told you the Lord has a place in his heart for us."

I nodded. "And I was wrong to think not. He has given me the most amazing gift and I intend to use it wisely."

"You mean... you're actually going to stay _human_?" Emmett asked, obviously confused.

"Yes, Emmett." I sighed. "Would I have asked for it if I didn't want it?"

Emmett squinted his eyes, not seeing the reason behind my new mortality. Of course he wouldn't understand. He viewed being a vampire as the best thing that had ever happened to him. He had fun with it and wanted to keep immortality forever.

But not me. I wanted to be a mortal. For Bella.

"I'm tired.. I'm going to bed." I said quietly, a yawn escaping my mouth.

Everyone looked at me oddly. They weren't used to seeing me doing human actions, and frankly, neither was I. They all nodded and slowly left the room. I knew they all wanted to know more, but they respected me and also knew that I would tell them when I was ready.

I was about to get up but Alice came over and sat next to me, putting her hand on my shoulder. I jumped at how cold her hand was. She pulled it away slowly.

"Edward... are you sure you want this?" she asked seriously. "I mean... you're going to get old. You're going to... die." She bit her lip on that word.

I knew that it would hurt Alice when I died. In many ways, she was more than my sister. She was my best friend and I loved her so much. I had gotten through so much with Alice by my side.

Could I let her go?

**Please review! Please review! Please review! Please review! Please review! xD**

**But seriously... please review. :)**


	5. Teenage Boy Feelings

**Wow! Thank you for all the reviews on the last one! I love getting feedback. It inspires me to write more. Please review this one too :]**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

I looked at Alice. She was biting her lip, her eyes sad. Just the sight made me feel the need to comfort her. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and she leaned her head on my neck. I was surprised at how hard her skin was compared to mine. Well, i'd get used to it soon enough.

"Hey." I said, a slight smile on my lips. "That's a long ways away, ok? I'm not dying yet. I'm only 17."

Though the thought still put a lump in my throat. I shook off the feeling and held her tighter.

"But there's more than just old age to worry about, Edward." Alice whispered, pulling away to look at me. "There's diseases, accidents... I mean, you could go outside tomorrow and get hit by a car."

We both flinched and I sighed.

"It's what I want Alice. For me and for Bella." I said quietly.

We were both quiet and then she spoke again.

"So you're really going to stay human?" her voice was full of quiet agony.

"Yes." was all I said.

She took a deep breath and got off the couch.

"Then i'll stand by you." she said, a little half smile playing at her lips. "Because you're my brother."

I grinned. "Goodnight Alice." I said, getting up.

"'Night." she sighed.

I slowly walked up the stairs, my legs feeling heavy. When I entered my room I groaned. Oh yeah. I didn't have a bed.

"Take mine!" I heard Alice call.

Alice's visions were always a step ahead. I left the room and walked down the hallway to Alice and Jasper's room. The bed looked very comfortable from a humans perspective.

I flopped onto it and closed my eyes, ready for sleep to find me. But before it could, I felt a tap on my leg.

"What?" I groaned, opening my eyes.

Esme was standing there, her eyes incredulous.

"Edward, humans shouldn't sleep in jeans." she scolded.

I sighed and turned my head into the pillow. "Mom, i'm really tired."

"Your legs will be stiff in the morning." she said, shaking my leg. "I'll have to run out and buy you some pajamas tomorrow."

"I can just sleep in my boxers." I mumbled into the pillow.

"Then do it." she replied

I rolled my eyes and sat up in the bed. She stood there, her hands on her hips.

"I'm not gonna take off my pants with you standing there." I sighed.

"Oops." she said with a slight smile. "Goodnight."

And she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

I tugged off my jeans and eyed the band aid on my knee. I was a bit curious as to what the wound looked like now.

I peeled it off and wrinkled my nose when I saw the puckered, scabbed cut. I touched it with my finger and winced. I was still so amazed that I could no longer smell blood. It looked gross now.

I pulled my shirt over my head and got under the covers. The blankets smelled really good. Sweet, tangy... wonderful. I then realized with a slight shock that this must be what I used to smell like. I put my hand to my face and sniffed.

Ugh. Dirt and grass. I probably should have washed my hands...

In the morning, I decided. I rolled over and breathed in the amazing scent. Was it me, or did it make the awaited sleep come easier?

I dreamed again, and of course, it was about Bella. It wasn't really a big dream... no words... no people... aside from her. It was just Bella lying in her bed, her hair thrown tangled and twisted across the pillow. She was sleeping, and murmuring my name quietly.

I could get used to this dreaming thing.

I woke up the next morning with a strange pain in my stomach. I pulled the covers off of me and even though I knew what I would see, I was still shocked. My body was a light peach color, and I saw the scabbed cut on my knee, looking a little bit better than it had yesterday.

My mind fell to the pain in my stomach and I realized that I must be hungry. That excited me quite a bit. It would be my first time eating human food in so long. I jumped out of bed and all the blood in my body seemed to rush to my head. I fell back with a yelp.

"Good. You're awake." a voice said in the doorway.

I looked up to see Rosalie standing there. Oh no. Now was her chance to ask me all about becoming a human.

"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my head.

"It's 12:30. Esme told us to let you sleep in." she sighed, impatient.

That explained the head rush. I got out of bed and Rosalie turned around all of a sudden.

"What?" I asked, pulling the covers over the pillows untidily.

"Put on some clothes." she said with disgust.

I looked down at myself. Oh yeah. Only boxers.

"Sorry." I mumbled, walking past her.

"This is weird." Emmett commented as I walked down the hallway. "I don't think I've ever seen you in just your underwear. That just shows how lazy humans are."

I rolled my eyes and entered my room, shutting the door behind me. I could hear Rosalie standing on the other side of the door. I didn't want to talk to her right now.

I pulled on a clean pair of underwear and some dark blue jeans. I pulled my arms white button up shirt and placed my tan leather jacket over my shoulders.

"Come on." I heard Rosalie say. "You're so slow."

I groaned internally and opened my window. I wasn't in the mood to explain everything.

I had jumped out of this window many times. But that was when I was a vampire. Now, I had to very carefully ease myself down the drain pipe, holding on for dear life.

I made it to the bottom and trudged over to the Volvo. I got in and turned the key. That reminded me that I would actually have to pay attention to the road now. I sighed and backed out of the driveway.

I saw Rosalie in the window, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. I shrugged and drove away from the house, a smile on my face.

Driving wasn't so hard after I got the hang of it. I couldn't hear the thoughts over other drivers anymore so that made it a bit difficult. I had to constantly be looking in my mirrors.

I eventually made it to Bella's house. She must have heard me pull up, because her smiling face appeared in the window. I smiled back and parked in the driveway. Charlie's cruiser was gone so I suspected that he was fishing.

I got out of the car and Bella was already running out the front door. She jumped into my arms and I held her close to me, spinning her around. She was as light as I had found her when I was a vampire.

"Hi." she said happily, kissing my neck softly.

"Hello." I whispered, a smile on my face.

I pulled away from her, placing her back on the ground. I placed a gentle kiss on her lips and she blushed, twining her fingers with mine.

"So... what are we doing today?" she asked, swinging our arms as we walked into the house.

"Well... I'm hungry." I stated. "So I was thinking that maybe we could go out for brunch."

She smiled and nodded. "Your first human meal!" she said excitedly.

I laughed and she grabbed her jacket from the hook, checking herself in the mirror quickly.

"You look beautiful, as always." I assured her.

She blushed a deeper red and turned back to me. Of course she wasn't wearing make-up. She never wore make-up. And that's what made her beautiful, in my opinion.

"Charlie's gonna be fishing all day with Harry so we have the whole day to ourselves." she said, kissing my cheek quickly. "I can teach you human things."

I chuckled and leaned closer to her. I watched as her nose wrinkled a tiny bit.

"Umm.. Edward?" she asked quietly, pushing me slightly away.

"I stink don't I?" I muttered.

Damn. I'd forgotten that as a human I now needed to brush my teeth and shower.

"You know where the bathroom is." she said with a smile, pointing to the stairs. "Use my toothbrush."

I kissed her forehead. "You know I love you, right?" I asked.

She nodded, and I grinned as her skin heated once again.

I walked up the stairs and into the bathroom. I heard her footsteps behind me and that made me a bit nervous. I shut the door quietly and heard her keep walking. Oh. She was going to her room. I sighed in relief.

I pulled off my clothes and got in the shower, sliding the curtain out of the way. I turned on the water and was immediately hit by the freezing spray.

"Gah!" I gasped aloud, turning it off again.

I heard the door open and my eyes widened. I grabbed the curtain and used it to cover myself.

Bella's hand reached into the shower and she turned the right knob.

"You turned on the cold water." she said, sounding like she was trying not to laugh. "You'll learn soon enough."

I felt like a child, but if Bella found it funny, then it was ok.

I heard the door shut again and I realized that I had been holding my breath. My heart was pounding in my chest. A thought entered my mind and it almost made me gasp again.

Had I been hoping that Bella would get in the shower with me? That was absurd, wrong.

But of course I would feel that way. I was a human now wasn't I? And human boys my age felt those weird pubescent feelings about girls. I also realized that all the blood had rushed to a certain part of my body, which embarrassed me beyond belief. Bella was not an object. I should not even think of her that way.

I tried not to looked down as I washed my body, but it was hard. I ended up eying my "little problem" and I bit my lip, thinking of gross things. I'd heard that if you thought of dead kittens it would work...

It eventually did work and I got out, feeling clean. I wrapped a fluffy white towel around my waist and grabbed Bella's toothbrush. I brushed my teeth quickly and then changed back into my clothes. I walked out of the bathroom, feeling calm and relaxed.

That was until Bella walked over to me and twisted her fingers in my hair, pressing her lips to mine. I pushed her lightly against the wall and hungrily kissed below her jaw. Up and down, up and down her face I kissed her. We both breathed heavily, and before long... things started to get... intense.

**Oooo! What's going to happen? :o Please review!**


	6. Right And Wrong

**Haha everyone was freaking out about the last chapter, wondering what was going to happen! So now i'm posting again. xD I hope you like it. **

**I'm sorry it's really short. It'll be longer next time. Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

Our lips were locked as if they refused to let go. We stumbled backward into Bella's room and I shut the door with my foot. We fell onto her bed and I rolled on top of her, trailing my fingers up and down her body. She was trembling as I lightly began to suck on her neck.

I had never known that I had this side to me. But my new human emotions were just too crazy to unwind. I _had_ to have this girl. Physically. She was _mine_.

Her eyes were closed when I pulled away from her. I was kneeling on the bed, one leg on either side of her lower torso. I quickly unbuttoned my shirt and threw it to the floor. Her eyes opened at the sound of the shirt hitting the carpet. She smiled and reached her fingers up to touch my chest. I carefully pulled her shirt off, leaving her in a bra. The sight made the pressure in my boxers increase by an incredible amount.

And that's when I realized that what we were doing was... wrong.

Doing this... having sex before you were married.. I had been brought up to believe that it was not the proper way. And that was the way I had always wanted it to be between me and Bella. I was going to marry her, there was no doubt about that. And if we waited to make love... it would make it more special when the time came. Just because there was no way I could hurt her now... it didn't mean that I could go ahead and do it. It didn't feel right to me.

I rolled off of her and sat on the edge of the bed, putting my head in my hands.

"I can't do this." I muttered.

Her hands were on my shoulders, rubbing the skin.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, and I felt her tongue trace my jawline.

I stood up and turned to her, wiping my face.

"Bella... I-I..." I didn't really know what to say.

Would she be angry with me? Bella had always wanted to push past my self control. She was always left wanting more after I would have to stop our kiss before it got out of hand.

"Edward, you won't hurt me. You're a human now." she reassured me, standing up.

I watched as her hands slid to her back and she unclipped her bra. I turned away from her, just in time to hear it hit the floor. I didn't want to see her naked body until we would actually make love.

"That's not it." I whispered. "Bella... I... this is wrong.."

"Wrong?" she was surprised, but I could hear no anger in her voice.

"I... I never wanted to do it this way." I said slowly. "I want it to be special... this just feels.."

"All too human, huh?" she said quietly. "You're not used to the human emotions of a pubescent teenage boy. I get it."

I could still hear no anger in her voice. I wanted to turn and face her, but I did not want to see her breasts. It wasn't the time for it.

"Bella... I've always wanted to wait until I was... married." I whispered. "It's the way I was raised.. I.. I can't see myself doing it any other way."

I heard the sound of plastic hitting plastic, and I knew that Bella's bra was back on. I turned back around to see her pulling her shirt back on.

"Are you angry?" I murmured, looking at the floor.

I felt her arms wrap around me and I looked up. She was smiling, as if in understanding.

"I could never be angry with you." she whispered. "Besides... I'm only 17.. I should probably wait."

I could see that she was thinking hard about something, and I could guess what it was. Would she be the one that I would marry?

The answer in my head was yes. Now that I was a human, there was no doubt about it. I would propose to Bella when the time was right. I wouldn't tell her that though. She would have to be surprised.

"So... how about that brunch?" I asked casually, trying to brighten her mood again.

She looked back up at me, a smile on her face.

"Let's go." she said with a smile.

I grabbed my shirt off the floor and slipped it back on. Then, I took her hand and led her out of her room and down the stairs.

And of course, it was just like Bella to trip up on the last step. I reached my arms out to catch her, but I wasn't fast enough. She tumbled to the floor, landing on her knees.

"Oh my gosh, are you ok?" I exclaimed grabbing her hands and helping her up.

I was shocked to see that she was still smiling.

"Edward, this happens on a daily basis, remember?" she said, playfully shoving my shoulder.

"Yeah... but usually i'm there to catch you before you fall." I murmured, a crease forming between my eyebrows. "Now that i'm a human..."

"Edward, to be honest, I think it's good that you can't catch me every time I fall anymore. Maybe you'll learn to... ease up on the over-protectiveness." she bit her lip.

I sighed. "Maybe you're right."

She smiled and took my hand again.

"But you _are_ ok... right?" I asked, just to make sure.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Edward."

I smiled and I watched as her eyes slightly unfocused and her mouth gaped a little. A thought shot into my head.

Could I still dazzle her? Even though I wasn't a vampire anymore? I voiced my question and she nodded.

"Yeah... that's one thing that will never change." she grinned, leaning up to kiss the corner of my mouth. "Now, come on! I bet you're starving."

Now that she mentioned it, my stomach _did_ feel a little uncomfortable... queezy almost. It was a weird feeling. But, like everything else, i'd get used to it.

**Again, sorry it was so short. It'll be longer next time. PLEASE REVIEW! :o**


	7. First Meal

**Oh my gosh! I saw Eclipse and it was amazing! Everyone, in the review section, tell me your favorite scene or part from the movie! :]**

**Back by popular demand (lol) here is chapter 7 of "Change". People are really liking this. :] Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

We walked out to the driveway. I looked at Bella, wondering what car she would want to use today. Sometimes she would want to drive her truck, and sometimes she would want to ride in the Volvo. Her eyes fell on the Volvo, and she walked forward, pulling me along. I smirked.

I didn't have the inhuman speed to get to her door before she could. But that didn't stop me. I let go of her hand and ran to the car, pulling open the door.

She was laughing when she reached me. She leaned up to press her soft lips against mine and I** s**miled. This human thing was really going to be alright.

"Still a gentleman, I see." she teased when she pulled away.

"That will never change." I said with a smile

She slid into her seat and I shut her door. I walked around to the other side and opened mine, getting in.

Before I could even turn the key in the ignition, I felt her fingertips caressing my face. I turned and saw that she was intently looking at me as her hands moved on my skin.

"What?" I whispered, leaning closer to her.

"I have to get used to you being so... warm." she replied, feeling the pulse at my neck. "It's wonderful... but at the same time..."

She trailed off. "But at the same time... what?" I asked, my voice slightly shaky.

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Never mind." she said. "Let's go eat."

Knowing Bella, I wasn't going to get what she was going to say out of her anytime soon. So I didn't pest her. I turned the key and we pulled out of the driveway.

"So... any ideas for where we can eat?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.

"You should choose." she replied, and by the way her voice sounded, it seemed like she was thinking hard about something.

I wanted to take my eyes off the road and see what her face looked like, but it was too risky. I wasn't used to having to pay attention to the road. If I looked away for even a second, who knew what could happen. We could skid off the road and it a tree.

I smiled as I thought of what Bella had thought about my driving before... how we could have hit a tree and twisted the Volvo into a pretzel. Of course, I would have been able to walk away, which she had clearly pointed out. I sighed. Not anymore.

"We haven't been up to Port Angeles in a while." I suggested, tightening my hands on the wheel.

I still remembered what had happened the last time we went up to Port Angeles. When I had saved Bella from those... ugh.. it was hard to think of those horrible fiends who had planned to hurt Bella in ways that made me want to tear them limb from limb. I shivered lightly and found that I rather liked the feeling. To be able to shake things off and forget it with a small shake of the head and shoulders.

"Sounds good. We could go to 'La Bella Italia'." Bella murmured. "Where we had our first date."

I snorted. "It was hardly a date. I was practically scared out of my mind about telling you about my family."

She giggled and I could hear in her laugh that whatever she had been thinking about before, was now in the back of her mind.

"Italian food is perfect for your first meal." she said contentedly, and I felt her hand reach out to touch mine.

Both my hands were on the steering wheel and it seemed like she only just noticed this. My thoughts were proved right, as she burst into another fit of giggles.

"You look like an old man, hunched over on the wheel like that!" she managed to say between her intervals of laughter.

I laughed along with her, and the mood was light and happy as we passed the "Welcome To Forks" sign.

After we arrived in Port Angeles, we pulled up to "La Bella Italia" and got out. I took her hand and led her up the steps. I pushed open the door and we walked in.

The lighting wasn't dark like it had been the last time. It was lunchtime now, so it was bright and busy. A woman I recognized from last time walked up to us. She didn't seem to recognize me. Well, why should she? I looked completely different now.

"Table for two?" she asked, seeming a bit frustrated about something.

"Yes please." I replied, nodding my head.

She led us to a table and I shook my head. "A booth, possibly?" I asked, smiling.

"Take it or leave it, buddy." she sighed, and my mouth almost fell open in surprise.

So I could no longer dazzle other women. Only Bella. That was good in some ways, but now it would be a bit more difficult to get what I wanted for Bella and I.

"Are you sure?" I asked, slipping her a one hundred dollar bill. "Those booths look empty."

Her eyes widened at the money and then she looked up at me. Her eyes squinted and then her jaw nearly dropped as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. I could see in her eyes that she now recognized me. Her gaze flickered to Bella and her lip jutted out a bit when she realized it was the same girl I had been with last time.

"This way." she muttered, motioning for us to follow her.

She brought us to a booth in the corner of the large area. I smiled in thanks and helped Bella slide in. I sat beside her and she leaned her body against me.

The girl handed us our menus. "Your server will be here in a moment." she said, and she darted back to the kitchen.

No doubt she would be informing the waitress that I was back. I turned to Bella and kissed her head lightly. "What are you going to have?" I murmured to her.

She smiled and looked up at me. "You should be the one worrying about that. It's your first meal. Make it special."

"It already is special." I said, tracing the shape of her lips with my fingertip. "Because you're here."

She blushed and I placed a gentle peck on her lips. I couldn't get over the feeling of warmth on warmth, softness on softness. It was wonderful... but at the same time...

I shook the words away, just as Bella had done. I now knew what she had been thinking about earlier, and frankly, I was feeling slightly the same way. I'd get over it soon enough though. We both would.

My eyes scanned the menu and eyed the "brunch" section, smiling.

Our server arrived, and she was the same girl who had served us last time.

"Hi. I'm Amber and i'll be your server today." she said, her mouth turning up at the corners.

I noticed that she didn't look as excited as she had last time. Probably because I was no longer extraordinarily good-looking to her. "Would you like anything to drink?" she continued.

"Coke." I said at the same time as Bella.

She grinned at me and the server gave her a look of disgust. I immediately felt the urge to be angry at her, but I ignored it. There would be no use yelling at her. Besides, it wasn't gentleman-like at all.

"I'll be back in one moment to hear your order." she said with false sweetness, and she scurried off to the kitchen.

"Why do women do that?" I asked Bella under my breath. "Throw themselves at men? It's very revolting and it's far from lady-like."

Bella shrugged. "They see an attractive man and they jump at the chance. It's the same when guys see an attractive girl." She sighed. "But we're not like that. And that's what matters."

I smiled and held her close to me. She buried her face in my neck and I wrapped my arms around her.

"I love you." I murmured to her.

Someone cleared their throat behind us and we slowly pulled away from each other. Amber was standing there, her smile wiped off her face. She put the 2 glasses of coke down and placed the bread sticks in the middle of the table.

"What would you like to eat?" she said through her teeth.

I sighed internally and looked down at the menu again.

"Bacon and eggs please." I replied.

I felt Bella's hand squeeze mine as she said. "Me too."

"I'll be back with your food momentarily." the server said and she turned and stalked away from the table.

"Bacon and eggs?" Bella said with a smile. "Sounds good."

I smiled, holding her hand tighter.

Bella suddenly pushed my glass of coke closer to me.

"Ready for your first drink?" she asked, her eyes bright.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Here goes."

I took the glass in my hand and shivered slightly and the coolness. Bella giggled beside me and I rolled my eyes. I brought the coke to my lips and let some of the cool liquid slide down my throat. My mouth was full of carbonated bubbles, tingling my tongue. I realized at once that I _loved_ the taste. I sipped some more, swallowing it and smacking my lips together.

"That's _good_." I said happily, watching the bubbles float around in the glass. "It's so tingly and fizzy."

Bella laughed and took a sip of her own coke. When she pulled the drink away, she was smiling.

"Remember, it has caffeine in it. So if you drink a lot of it, you'll probably have a bit of an energy boost." she warned me.

I nodded and swigged some more down. The sensation of liquid sliding down my throat, I was used to. But the taste of this was so good! I couldn't even remember what blood tasted like anymore. And I didn't even want to.

"So... do you like it?" she asked casually, leaning down to kiss my cheek lightly.

I nodded. "It's amazing. I can't wait to taste the actual food."

Bella giggled and I felt her hands trail across my chest gently. I turned to her and pecked her lips lightly. I wasn't one of those people who didn't like showing PDA. I was all for it. I loved kissing Bella and showing people that this beautiful girl beside me was _mine_.

We waited a little while longer, nuzzling against each other and giving the occasional kisses. Amber finally showed up with our food, the scowl still on her face.

"Here you go." she said, almost slamming the plates down onto the table.

Bella was hiding a smile as she slid her plate towards herself. I did the same.

"Enjoy." Amber said with more false sweetness, and then she walked off, flicking her hair away from her shoulder. I rolled my eyes.

I looked down at my plate and saw the crispy bacon and fried eggs in front of me. Some toast lay to the side, already buttered. I took a deep breath. "What should I try first?" I asked Bella.

"Hmmm.. how about you close your eyes?" she suggested. "And I feed you something. You have to guess what it is."

I smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

She giggled and I shut my eyes. I heard the metallic sound as the fork hit the plate.

"Open your mouth." she said quietly.

I opened my mouth slowly, loving the feeling of intimacy as she fed me. I bit down as she pulled the fork out, ad my teeth crunched against the food. It knew immediately what it was.

"Bacon." I said, chewing it.

The flavor was very distinct and smoky. Delicious. I kept a mental list in my head. Likes: Coke and bacon.

The familiar metallic sound hit the plate again and then another piece of food was being put in my mouth. I chewed slowly. It had a soft texture, and tasted peppery. I smacked my lips together and swallowed it. That, I didn't like so much.

"Eggs?" I guessed.

"Yup." she said, a smile in her voice.

"I don't like them. Ew." I replied.

Dislikes: Eggs.

"Edward Cullen, I never thought i'd see a day where you said 'ew'. I'm shocked." she said, and I could tell she was grinning.

"Well it's gross. To me anyway." I shrugged. "Ok. Next."

I knew what was left because no metallic sounds was heard this time. A soft and warm food was suddenly in my mouth. I chewed and felt my mouth get watery.

"Mmmm... now _that _is good." I approved, swallowing the toast.

Another part of it was put in my mouth and then Bella whispered. "Open your eyes."

I opened them just in time to watch her bite down on the other end of toast. Her face was so close, and my heartbeat accelerated. I felt the blush warm my cheeks and I watched as hers did as well.

We slowly began to eat our way towards each other. I couldn't wait any longer so I took the bread out of our mouths and pressed my lips to hers lovingly. We kissed for a few moments, until a voice interupted us.

"_Bella?_" it said, surprise clear in its voice.

We disconnected our lips and turned towards the voice. We came face to face with Jessica Stanley, who was standing there with Mike Newton. They both had dumbstruck expressions as they took in my new appearance.

"Umm.. hey." Bella said, the blush returning to her cheeks.

I was deep red too and I cleared my throat. "Hi." I said nervously.

"Wow... ummm.. Edward... you look..." Jessica obviously couldn't finish, so she broke off mid-sentence.

"Different." Mike finished for her, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"New look." I shrugged, feeling perspiration building on my forehead. Why was I sweating? There was only one reason. I was afraid they would notice too much. The way I looked awkward and weird in my new body. My new _human _body.

"You got that right." Jessica said, her voice a soft squeak. "I never noticed before... you have freckles."

"They... umm... they come out in the sun." I said stupidly, and Bella elbowed me under the table.

Oh yeah. We were in Forks. One of the rainiest and cloud covered places in the continental US. Oops.

Jessica and Mike looked at each other. Why were they even talking to us? Jessica hardly ever talked to Bella anymore, and Mike preferred to talk to her when I wasn't by her side.

"Uhh... well... we'll see you at school tomorrow." Mike said, pulling Jessica along with him. "Nice seeing you, Bella. Edward."

They walked off, Jessica looking back at me like I was some kind of exhibit at a museum.

"That was... awkward." Bella sighed, turning to me. "I forgot about school. How are you going to explain to everyone why you look so... different?"

"That's not important." I mumbled. "What's important is that, we finish our food. We go back to Forks. And we spend the day together."

She smiled and nodded. "Ok."

We finished our food in no time, and I paid Amber the check. I tipped her graciously, as I had last time. That was only so she wouldn't be so sulky for the rest of the day. Besides, I knew from the last time we'd come here that she wasn't getting paid enough money. I'd read in her mind how angry she was at her boss. Well, hopefully that tip would ease her mood.

We got in my car and as soon as Bella shut her door, I turned toward her.

"Where were we? Before we were rudely interupted by those 2 weirdos?" I teased, leaning towards her.

She giggled. "Right here." she whispered, and pressed her soft lips to mine once again.

**I hope you liked it! Please review! And hey! Please check out the video I made last week! It's about how Jacob strengthens Bella when Edward is gone, and how when he comes back she has to decide who she loves more. It took me a long time so please comment on it! And subscribe if you want to see more :] .com/watch?v=inZTrSv6G9M**


	8. Gravy

**Wow! Sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've been having a lot of writers block with this story, but it's kind of going away now. Here's something you all should know: next week I'm going on vacation with my family, and we'll be gone all week. So no posts at all next week. Sorry.**

**Please check out my other stories in the meantime! I have 3 new stories. 2 are one-shots. The one-shots are "The First Night on Isle Esme" and "Purple Popsicle". My new story is called "Secrets: Better Kept or Told?" and it is about what would happen if Angela discovered the Cullens secret. Please read and review them! :]**

**Anyway, enough blab. Here is the next chapter of "Change". **

**Edward's POV**

We drove home in comfortable silence, Bella's head resting on my shoulder. By the time we got back, it was around 3:00 in the afternoon.

"Would you like to go to my home?" I asked her, slowing down a bit as we passed her house.

"Sure." she replied with a smile.

We continued driving and soon arrived at my house. I pulled into the garage and stopped the car. Bella pulled away from me to unbuckle her seat belt, and I undid mine as well. When she was free from its clutches she turned. Before I knew it, her hands were in my hair and her lips were moving fast against mine. I kissed her back, tasting her lips with my tongue. Mmmm... coke.

She tasted me back and soon we were literally swapping spit, out tongues twisting and pressing in our mouths.

Bella let out a slight whimper when my hands began to gently massage her lower back.

"Ugh, get a room." Rosalie's snooty voice suddenly broke the kiss.

I pulled away and we both looked up. She was looking in through the window, her nose scrunched up as if in disgust.

"We had one until you showed up." I grumbled, taking the key out of the ignition and turning to Bella. "Let's go inside." I sighed.

We got out and Rosalie walked in with us, keeping at my slow human pace.

"Soo... Edward... going to tell me how you became a human?" she asked quietly.

"I already told you." I muttered. "I prayed to God."

"Yeah right." she snorted. It sounded odd coming from her. "You don't pray. You must have done something else. Taken something? Drunk something? Eaten something?"

"Leave me alone, Rose." I groaned, taking Bella's hand and pulling her into the house with me.

Everyone was just entering the living room when we came in. Obviously wanting to know more from me, seeing as I had been too tired to answer any questions last night. I looked at Bella and she was looking at me as well. We smiled at each other as we walked, staring into each others eyes.

We both walked into a cold, hard surface and fell to the floor.

"Ow!" Emmett said teasingly. "Wow, that hurt _so_ bad."

I rolled my eyes and took Bella's hand. To my surprise, we were both blushing in embarrassment.

"Wow. Human Edward is just as clumsy as Bella." Alice said with a smile. "Who would have known?"

Everyone laughed and me and Bella turned even redder. We sat on the couch while everyone else stood up, surrounding us. I decided to be the first to speak.

"So... I was wondering... how do I smell to you?" I asked everyone.

Jasper shrugged. "You smell just like any other human. Delicious. But we have restraint. You know that."

I nodded and took Bella's hand in mine again. I stroked it with the back of my thumb absentmindedly, and she cuddled closer into my side.

"Edward, we have many questions to ask." Carlisle spoke next, walking forward. "If you don't wish to answer them, then that is fine."

"No, it's ok. Ask away." I motioned my hand for them to start.

Carlisle nodded. "I'll go first, I suppose." he began. "Where were you when the transformation occurred?"

"In the forest." I answered immediately, continuing to rub Bella's hand. "I was taking a walk to clear my head."

"How did it feel? To become a human?" Esme asked quietly.

"Well... I felt really tingly for a little while, and I guess I missed the rest of the transformation because... I fell asleep." I replied.

"In the _woods_?" Rose muttered skeptically. "How could anybody fall asleep in the _woods_?"

I ignored her and nodded to Jasper who looked like he wanted to speak. He began to speak but suddenly Bella's lips were at my ear. "Did you dream?" she whispered.

"Yes." I murmured, turning to her and moving my hand from hers to her face. I caressed her cheek with my thumb. "About you."

She blushed and, pretty much forgetting that my family was in the room, I leaned in and kissed her tenderly. It was so amazing, that I could kiss her now without having to worry about hurting her. I opened my lips slightly and she did the same, her delicious breath blowing into my mouth.

Someone cleared their throat but we ignored it. I ran my fingers through her soft hair and leaned closer to her, pressing my body against hers. Her hands were tied around my neck and she threw herself into the kiss with more enthusiasm. My now warm lips were so flexible and soft against hers, moving in ways that they were never able to move before. Before we knew it, she was lying on her back on the couch, and I was hovering over her, kissing her hard and passionately.

"You do realize that your whole family is in the room, right?" Bella whispered against my lips.

"I know." I murmured back, kissing her neck now. "But I can't keep my hands off you."

She blushed at that and I kissed her jaw hungrily, suddenly feeling that strange arousal run through me. I immediately pulled away, gasping for air.

Everyone was gone. It was just me and Bella now. They had obviously wanted to give us privacy. I sat up and grabbed a pillow to cover up my... you know.

"Too far?" she whispered, her breathing uneven. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I just don't want to accidentally... start something." I replied, sighing. "I am... really embarrassed right now."

Bella blushed tomato red and her eyes fell to the pillow. "Oops." she giggled.

I was bright red as well. It was hard enough having to resist going too far with her, but it was even harder when I had to explain why I was covering the lower half of my body with a pillow. I took a deep breath and concentrated hard on dead kittens. Bella watched as my face scrunched up in concentration. I finally fell back against the couch, relieved. She laughed.

"So... should we go find your family?" she asked, her fingers combing lightly through my hair.

I shook my head. I didn't care how many times I avoided answering their questions. It was really boring to me, having to repeat everything over again. I was about to suggest going back to her house, when an odd sensation ran through my body. It was slow, but soon an urgent need washed over me and I realized what was happening.

"I'll be back in one moment." I told Bella, getting up and running upstairs.

She seemed to know what was wrong, and I heard her laughter echoing behind me. I ran into the bathroom and relieved myself, letting out a sigh. I had forgotten that I now needed to use the bathroom regularly. It was going to take some getting used to. After washing up, I walked back downstairs and took Bella's hand.

"We should go back to your house and start Charlie's dinner." I said to her.

She nodded, standing up. We swung our arms as we walked to the garage, and we got in the car.

We drove back to her house with the radio on. We sung along to the songs and for the first time, I heard Bella's singing voice. It wasn't spectacular, but it was soft and pretty. She blushed when I told her, and she playfully punched my arm. It still kind of hurt from where we had bumped into Emmett, and she laughed when I told her.

Bella opened her front door and we walked inside, entering the kitchen. She immediately went to the fridge and began looking for something to make.

"Want some chicken?" she asked, pulling out a frozen chicken from the freezer.

"It's your meal." I said with a shrug, and she shook her head.

"Nope. You're staying for dinner." she replied with a smile. "So, chicken?"

I bit my lip and thought for a moment. "Sure." I finally said, walking over to her.

"Gravy is in that cupboard." she said, pointing. "I don't have time to make it myself. Just take the package out and read the directions."

I nodded, slipping her a quick kiss on the cheek before I opened the cupboard. Bella prepared the chicken, adding spices and other things. I concentrated on my job. Gravy.

I followed the directions very carefully, and when I was finished, it actually looked good. It smelled good too. Bella smiled in praise and put it on the stove. The chicken was already cooking, and Bella was currently boiling carrots, potatoes, turnips, and broccoli.

"I've never watched you cook before." I murmured, wrapping my arms around her from behind. "You're good at it."

She laughed and turned the element down a bit, because the vegetables were almost done. "Get out 3 plates, please." she said, just as the oven beeped, signaling that the chicken was done.

I grabbed the plates and laid them beside each other on the counter. Bella began to cut up the chicken,

placing parts on each plate. I forked out the vegetables and put them on as well. I only then realized, that in the amount of time it had taken me to make the gravy, Bella had made the stuffing as well. She scooped some onto the plate and I grabbed the ladle. I poured equal amounts of gravy over each plate.

The front door opened at that moment, and the scent of the delicious chicken must have hit Charlie's nose right away.

"Smells good, Bells." he called out, and I heard his gun belt hit the bench that was in the porch.

Charlie walked into the kitchen and appraised me and Bella for a moment.

"Hey, Edward." he said, walking forward and shaking my hand.

"Hello." I replied with a smile.

"Go ahead and sit down, Dad. Edward and I made Sunday dinner." Bella said, filling 3 glasses up with water. "And Edward is joining us tonight."

Usually, when I joined them for supper, I wouldn't eat. Of course, he would be surprised in a few minutes when I finally ate for once.

Bella and I put the food and water on the table. Bella had a gravy boat filled with gravy and she laid it on the table as well. We all sat down and began eating.

The chicken was absolutely mouthwatering. It was tender and moist, and the stuffing was even better. I was surprised how good my gravy tasted too. I had thought it would turn out terrible.

The vegetables were okay. I enjoyed the potatoes and carrots, but the turnip and broccoli didn't taste very good to me. I added them to my mental likes and dislikes list.

It was quiet as we ate, like it always was between Charlie and Bella. It wasn't uncomfortable, and I was glad I didn't have to stop eating. It tasted _so_ good!

Bella and I cleared the dishes after supper and washed them. Well, she washed and I dried. After we were finished, we went up to her room and Charlies voice called out behind us, "No funny business! I mean it!"

Bella's computer was already on when we got upstairs, and we edited her Biology assignment for Mr. Banner. It didn't take long, so when we were finished we just laid on her bed, cuddling.

"I should go." I murmured as the clock changed to 10:00. "I'll come back when you're asleep."

She sat up, turning to face me. "How are you going to get in?" she questioned. "And where are you going to hide your car? You can't walk all the way back."

"I'll get Alice to drive me back over, and she'll help me climb up the window." I shrugged.

She laughed and pressed her cheek to mine. "I love you." she said happily.

"I love you too. More than anything else in my world." I murmured into her hair.

After a few moments, I said goodbye for the time being, and I left.

**Bella's POV**

Today had been perfect. Edward and I had gone to Port Angeles together, talked, made dinner for Charlie, not to mention _kissed_ like we'd never kissed before. It was so amazing that we could freely kiss now without having to worry about his teeth or self-control.

He was back an hour later, and as promised, Alice helped him through the window. I only caught a quick glimpse of her, but I _did_ hear her insane giggling as she pushed Edward through the window.

We laid on my bed for a little longer, touching each others faces. He set my alarm clock for 4:00 in the morning. He'd have time for Alice to pick him up and go home before Charlie got up at 5:00.

"Let's go to sleep." he whispered above me.

My face was cradled into the hollow under his neck and his hands were making patterns on my back. I nodded and closed my eyes, shifting closer to him.

"I love you, my Bella." he murmured, kissing my head. "My only love. My everything."

And then he was humming my lullaby, and we both slowly succumbed to peaceful unconsciousness, not even worrying about that fact that he would be showing his new face at school tomorrow.

**I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Remember, no posts next week because i'm going on vacation. In the meantime, check out my other new stories, and review them! And of course, review this one too! Please! :]**


	9. Comfortable

**WOOOO! I'm back! And with a new story as well! My new story is called "Yup, It's All Real'" and it's about a huge Twilight fan who moves to Forks, only to discover that the Cullen's are actually real! Please review it! Thanks. :]**

**Here's the next chapter of "Change"!**

**.oO .oO .oO**

**Bella's POV**

I woke up sometime in the night to the sound of rain hitting my window. I groggily sat up, wiping my eyes. I almost jumped when I heard a light snore come from beside me, and my hand flew to my mouth before I could gasp.

Edward was still lying beside me, his face pressed into the pillow. His cheeks were flushed, and his hair was messier than usual. One of his arms was strewn across my lap, and the other was hanging off the left side of the bed. He was snoring quietly, and my slight jostling movement had not woken him up.

I sat there for a few moments, staring at him. He was so... cute. I had never thought I would use that word to describe Edward but it just fit, here in this moment. He looked like such a little kid, sleeping like a baby.

I slipped out of bed and looked at the clock. It was 3:30 in the morning, so that meant my alarm would go off in half an hour, signaling Edward to leave. I walked over to my window and looked outside. Of course, it was pouring rain and the wind was ripping at the leaves in the trees. I stared out into the night, my thoughts straying towards unpleasant thoughts. Thoughts that circled around Edward as a vampire.

I missed it. It was wrong, and I knew I shouldn't miss it, but I did. I liked having Edward with me as a human but... when he was a vampire everything seemed right. Human Edward was different. Still the same Edward, but... just not the one I wanted. I shook my head, biting my lip. This feeling would go away soon, and then I would be perfectly fine with human Edward. I should want the feeling to disappear, but... I didn't. I wanted vampire Edward.

"Bella..." a voice murmured behind me and I turned.

He wasn't awake, but he was turning his head, flopping over onto another pillow. "My Bella..."

He was dreaming about me. _Me_. And better yet, he talked in his sleep just like I did.

"Yeah... like that..." he whispered, a low moan coming from the back of his throat.

Blood flushed my face and neck and I stood there awkwardly. He was dreaming about me... in _that_ way? Wow... I sort of liked the idea of that.

"Yes... mmm.." he breathed, his breathing becoming uneven.

Even though he was dreaming about me, I still felt like I was being a part of something private. So I tiptoed out of my room and into the bathroom. I looked in the mirror at myself, and I looked beyond embarrassed. It was only natural for Edward to be having dreams like that now. He _was_ a teenage boy after all, not a 100 year old vampire. I'd just have to get used to it.

I used the bathroom and went back to my room. I got in bed and cuddled beside him again, his warm body pressed against mine. He snored again, but he wasn't talking anymore.

The alarm clock went off at 4:00 and Edward jumped up to turn it off. I watched him sit on the edge of the bed for a moment, rubbing his eyes. He yawned and stood up, turning to me.

"Did I wake you up?" he whispered in his husky voice.

I shook my head. "No. I've been up since 3:30. Rain." I pointed to the window.

He smiled and leaned down to kiss my cheek. "Would you like me to stay and sing you to sleep?"

"No, you have to go. Charlie will be getting up soon, and besides, Alice is probably on her way to pick you up."

"I'm already here, actually." a voice said, coming from the window.

Edward and I turned and saw Alice sitting on the window-sill. She was smiling, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Hey, Alice." I murmured, turning my attention back to Edward. "I'll see you later."

"Okay." he whispered. "I love you, my Bella."

He pressed his soft lips to mine for a moment, and then he was gone.

I turned my face back into the pillow and closed my eyes, leaning into the warm spot where Edward had just been. It was comforting... but that still didn't change the way I was feeling.

**Edward's POV**

Stupid alarm clock. I had been intoxicated in a wonderful dream about Bella, and of course, the annoying beep of her alarm had pulled me out of it. I knew that it was wrong to think of Bella that way, but as a human, I just couldn't help it. I was absolutely intrigued at the thought of being intimate with Bella. Just this morning I had told her how I wanted to wait until I was married, but now... I wasn't so sure if I _could_ wait.

It was embarrassing to have to be carried in Alice's arms back home. She was giggling the entire way there, and now I knew why Bella objected to me carrying her. It was annoying when you couldn't walk for yourself; and even more annoying when the person carrying you kept rubbing it in your face that they were fast and you weren't. I ignored Alice's little comments, and I just closed my eyes as she ran, feeling the breeze ruffle my hair.

We arrived back home and I immediately walked upstairs to my room. My jaw dropped when I opened my door, and I stood there, dumbstruck in the doorway.

"We couldn't leave you with nothing to sleep in." Alice said behind me, the sound of a smirk in her voice. "Esme bought it earlier today."

I stared at the huge bed in the middle of my bedroom. It had gold covers, white sheets, and a black iron headboard with roses twisting through vines throughout it. It looked so comfortable and inviting. Alice left and I walked forward, eying a little heap of material at the end of the bed. I picked them up. Hmmm... pajamas. So Esme had bought them anyway. It was just a pair of plaid pajama pants and a white undershirt, but they looked as comfortable as the bed.

I pulled off my clothes and put the pajamas on, falling onto the bed. It _was_ comfortable.

And that was my fourth experience of sleeping, and of course, Bella danced through my mind, my dream picking up where it left off.

**Ok, I know that it was SO short, but I couldn't leave you guys with nothing after not updating in so long. The next chapter will be a lot longer. In the meantime, I have 2 new stories right now! The first one, "Yup, It's All Real", I explained at the beginning of this chapter. My second one, "Want" is about how Bella and Edward have a one night stand, lie about their ages, and soon discover that Edward is Bella's teacher. Please read and review those ones, and this one! Thanks! :]**


	10. Panic

**OH YES. IT'S BACK.**

**I'm so sorry it's taken so long, but Christmas holidays are almost here, and I feel so bad for not updating this story. Here, after _such_ a long wait, is chapter 10 of "Change"! Please review! The more reviews I get, the sooner i'll post more! (:**

Monday morning came, and I found myself being a bit nervous. It was time to go to school and see what everyone else would think of the "new me". I had already gotten a taste of what it would be like when Jessica and Mike had talked to us at the restaurant, but I couldn't help feeling like it would be much much worse with an entire school.

I knew that I wasn't as attractive as I had been before. Bella had denied this, telling me I was just as handsome, but I knew she was lying. I mean, it didn't matter or anything, but I wouldn't be able to "dazzle" women anymore. And that meant no more getting out of class easily, which was unfortunate.

I drove to Bella's house faster than usual; I wanted to get the school day over with. She was looking out the window, and she ran outside when she saw me. She got in the car and closed the door behind her, turning to look at me.

"Are you ok?" she asked, scrunching up her eyebrows. "You look sick."

"I'm nervous." I muttered, leaning toward her and kissing her lips.

We kissed for a few moments, the warmth of each other radiating through us, and then we pulled away.

"I'll be fine." I sighed, sliding my finger across her lips. "I just hope no one starts harassing us."

I put my wet finger in my mouth and she stared, a little smile playing around the corners of her lips. I had gotten into the habit of "tasting" her now. Because she no longer smelled like blood. She smelled sweet and perfumey, though I knew Bella didn't wear perfume. And the taste of her lips was as sweet as candy, and call me weird, but I wanted to taste it all the time.

We arrived in the school parking lot, and I leaned back against the seat, taking deep breaths and staring at the rear view mirror.

"It'll be fine, ok?" Bella reassured me, leaning forward to run her fingers through my hair. "I know you're only worried that they're going to start making fun of you or something, but it's no big deal."

"I'm not worried about _me_ getting made fun of." I replied, turning to look at her. "I'm worried about _you_ getting made fun of. I don't want anyone hurting your feelings."

Bella rolled her eyes and I looked at her, confused.

"Edward, I could care less about what people think of me or you. High School isn't a big deal anymore, not after everything i've been through..." her eyes fell to the crescent shaped scar on her hand.

I peered down at it too, and touched my fingertips to it gently. "You're amazing." I sighed.

She smiled, blushing. I brought her face up to level with mine, and I kissed her. Kissed her so passionately that I wished we didn't have to get out of the car. She pulled away after about five minutes of "making out"as humans called it. Her cheeks were bright red and her hair was messed up. I got hold of her bottom lip between mine and tugged, wanting more.

She pulled away pushing me back against the seat. "I never thought i'd see the day where Edward Cullen had raging hormones." she laughed, grabbing her bag. "Come on, let's get inside before you start pitching a tent."

"Pitching a tent?" I questioned, getting out of the car and following her.

She snorted. "You don't know what that means?"

"Um... should I?"

She just laughed, throwing her head back and looking as carefree as ever. It made me grin. She didn't discuss it further, so I still wondered what it meant. "Pitching a tent"? Maybe I was missing something obvious...

I didn't have anymore time to think about it because we opened the doors to the school. As soon as I entered, a group of girls looked up as if they were preparing to be "dazzled" by me. Their eyes widened when they saw me, and I turned bright red, looking down.

"What happened to him?" one of the girls whispered to her friends as we passed. "He's not... gorgeous anymore."

"I don't know... but I think he's still pretty hot." one replied.

"Hmm... more cute than hot." another commented.

"He looks _normal_." one girl said in disgust, as if being normal was the weirdest thing ever.

Bella was obviously ignoring them. She took my hand and we walked to our lockers, which I had convinced the teachers to put right next to each other. I sighed; but that had been when I was a vampire. There was no way I would be able to convince them to do anything else for me as a human.

"English." Bella said, looking at her schedule. "Let's go."

We grabbed our books and headed to class, all the while seeing people ogling at me in a way that I wasn't used to.

We walked into the classroom and headed to where our desks were in the back. Mike Newton, who was in this class as well, peered up at Bella from behind his copy of "Romeo and Juliet". He hadn't even noticed me yet. He always looked at Bella first, and that had used to bother me.

His gaze moved to me and he dropped the book, his eyes wide as if I was looking at him weird. I looked at my feet again, trying to to let the look on his face get to me.

The entire class, I _knew_ that everyone was looking at me. I wasn't being paranoid or anything like that; I could feel every set of eyes on me, and not on the board where everyone was _supposed_ to be looking. It felt weird, and kind of like deja vu. When I had first moved to Forks, everyone's reactions had been similar. Always staring at me, trying to get a glimpse of me in the hallways...

But now it wasn't because I looked unusual. Now, it was because I looked normal.

Normal was starting to sound like a curse in my head.

When class was over, I took Bella's hand and rushed out. I didn't really know what was wrong, but I felt hot under the collar and more nervous than before.

"Edward, if you want to go home-" she started, but I shook my head quickly.

"No. No, let's just... let's just get to Calculus." I muttered.

The whole way there, people were murmuring around us.

"Did you see Cullen?"

"Edward Cullen looks different."

"Why does Edward look so weird?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's all flushed. He's usually so pale..."

"I think he's pretty hot still."

"Oh come _on_, Jenna, he's butt ugly."

"Ginger."

"Fag."

I couldn't take it anymore; I wasn't sure what was wrong with me, but sweat was starting to run down my face and I felt nauseous. I started to shiver.

"Edward, something's wrong with you." Bella said frantically. "Let's go find Alice."

She dragged me down the hall; I felt like I was going to vomit.

Alice had obviously heard Bella's distress, and she soon appeared beside us, a look of pure worry on her face.

"He's having a panic attack." she said, looking stricken. "We have to get him home. Now."

And then I passed out.

**What'd you think? I hope that was pretty good for this story's little comeback. Please review! The more reviews I get, the sooner i'll update! Thanks! (:**

**-Catherine**


	11. Options

**This one's a bit short, but it's an important chapter. Review! (:**

**~x~**

**Bella's POV**

Alice could easily carry Edward down the hall by herself, but that would look weird to everyone else. I I grabbed his arms and she grabbed his legs. We ran down the hallway, trying to ignore the stares people were giving us.

Things had been going so well! And then those stupid kids had started making fun of him. I guess Edward had never experienced that kind of thing before. I looked down at his face; his eyes were closed and his mouth was open in a lopsided way. He was breathing calmly, but he didn't look peaceful.

"What happened?" Mr. Banners voice came from behind us.

"He passed out." Alice told him. "We're taking him home; my father can take care of him."

The look she gave him was so beautiful that he didn't even tell us that we had to come back after we dropped him off. He just smiled and walked away, looking dazed and muttering about going to tell the secretary to sign us out.

"Wow, Alice." I murmured under my breath.

"What?"

"You can dazzle people too."

She giggled, walking forward again so we could get Edward to the front doors. Once we were in the parking lot, Alice ran with inhuman speed to put him in the Volvo, and then turned back to grab me. In less than 30 seconds, we were driving away from the parking lot. I sat in the backseat with Edward, his head on my lap. I ran my fingers through his hair and stared down at him. He looked so _innocent_ as a human; so much like a boy. I was starting to appreciate this new version of him. The version with warm skin, flushed cheeks, freckles, and green eyes. It was all so new, but I was slowly getting used to it, just like I had hoped I would.

We arrived at the Cullen's house, and as soon as we were inside, we flopped Edward onto the couch in the living room. Rosalie and Emmett came in, both looking stricken.

"What the hell happened?" Emmett asked, rushing forward to look at his brother.

"He passed out. He had a panic attack." I explained, sitting down and putting his head on my lap again.

Esme entered the room with the phone in her hand. "I just called Carlisle. He'll be home in a few minutes."

Rosalie went into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. She pulled him up so he was sitting, then splashed it all over his face. He fell back onto my lap, spluttering.

"Wh-what?" he stuttered, spitting water all over me.

"Calm down." I murmured, holding him still.

He noticed me then, and he looked up at me from behind those long lashes, looking more innocent and boyish than ever. He leaned into me, sighing contentedly and letting me run my fingers through his hair again.

"Carlisle's in the driveway. I have to go back and get Jasper." Alice said, and she turned to go out the door.

She avoided bumping into Carlisle, and he avoided bumping into her. The slid past each other, and he ran over to Edward. He examined him for a few seconds.

"He's perfectly fine." he reassured everyone. "I had no idea you were prone to panic attacks, Edward."

"Neither did I." he muttered, his eyes still closed. "Can I sleep? Please?"

Carlisle chuckled. "Go ahead. And no more school; it doesn't seem like a safe environment for you at the moment."

I helped him get upstairs, and I tucked him into bed.

"I seem like a child. I'm sorry." he sighed, pressing his face into the pillow.

I smiled. "No need to be sorry. It's cute."

He opened his eyes and looked up at me, a tinge of red showing on his face.

"I seriously never thought of _you_ as a blusher." I said, lying down beside him. "_I'm _the blusher."

"Turns out we're more similar than ever." he laughed. "I'm clumsy too. Can't walk on a stable surface without finding something to trip over."

"You never told me." I murmured, caressing his face with my thumb.

"It's embarrassing." he replied, closing his eyes again.

"I understand _that_ more than you know." I giggled.

He cuddled into me, wrapping his arms around me. "It's so good not having to be so.. careful with you. I can hug you as tight as I can and I wouldn't break any bones."

"Very reassuring." I grinned.

We were quiet for a few moments, and I soon realized that he was asleep. I peered down at him in wonder, running my fingers through his hair again.

"Asleep?" I heard Alice's voice from the doorway.

I turned and nodded. "Did you tell Jasper?"

"Yup." she popped her lips on the p. "Him and Emmett can't stop laughing."

She rolled her eyes, walking into the room. "Bella, you realize what Edward being human _means_, right?"

I looked at her, confused. She sighed.

"It means that you're never going to be a vampire." she said, sitting down on the end of the bed. "It means that you won't get to spend forever with Edward. It means... you'll both _die_."

My stomach twisted uncomfortably at the word. "He said he was never going to change me."

"Bella, I've seen you as a vampire." she informed me.

"But your visions are subjective."

"Not this one. If I look further into it, I can see that whatever decision Edward makes will end up turning you into a vampire; even saying that he _won't_." she replied.

I sat there for a few seconds, looking down at him again. "He... he _wants_ this, Alice. He wants to be human. Who am I to argue when he's done it for _me_?"

She shook her head. "Edward doesn't know what _anyone_ wants, Bella. He only _thinks _he knows what people want. You want you and him to be equals, but not as humans. He doesn't see _why_ you would want to become a vampire."

"So I can spend the rest of eternity with him." I whispered.

"Exactly. And being a human definitely doesn't give you eternity." she stood up, turning towards the door again.

"Tell him you don't want this. We... we could easily change him back to normal. Well, back into a vampire." she said quietly. "And we could change _you _too."

My breath hitched in my throat. I could be a vampire in _3 days_ if I just told him how I felt.

But how_ did_ I feel? Today had given me the chance to grow used to Edward's human form. I no longer felt cheated or upset. I felt new, because Edward being a human opened up so many options for me that hadn't been there before.

But what did I want to keep more? The option of forever with Edward? Or the option of living a normal, human life with Edward?

I looked back to the doorway, but Alice was already gone. I turned my attention back to Edward, and stared down at his innocent sleeping form.

What was I going to do?

**~x~**

**Review! (:**

**-C-**


	12. Argument

**Yet again, this chapter is kind of short, but important nontheless. **

**~x~**

**Edward's POV**

I opened my eyes, not sure what time it was. I sat up in bed and looked out the window; the sun was setting, so it had to be around 5:30 or 6:00. I turned to see Bella lying beside me, arms strewn out of the bed and hanging on the floor. I carefully positioned her more comfortably, and then slid out of bed. I left my bedroom and walked downstairs. I heard Emmett's booming voice in the living room, and I followed the sound.

"Hey! Edward's up!" he said happily, grinning at me. "I never realized how much humans _sleep_."

"Neither did I." I chuckled, sitting beside him on the couch. "But it feels so _good_ to sleep. You have no idea."

"Meh, I'd rather be awake than waste eternity sleeping." Emmett shrugged.

Alice and Jasper entered the room then, and I read Alice's facial expression quickly.

"Stop worrying about me, Alice." I said.

"How did you know she was worrying?" Jasper asked, confused.

"Isn't it obvious? Look at her face."

Emmett and Jasper peered at Alice's face but still looked as confused as ever. To my surprise, Alice grinned.

"So _that's_ why you could read minds as a vampire! You can read people like a book just by looking at their expression!" she exclaimed. "Pretty handy. Not as handy as reading minds though-"

"Give it a rest, Alice. I'm human now." I interrupted, knowing that she was trying to convince me to change back into a vampire.

She sighed, crossing her arms and standing up. "You could _at least_ think about what you're giving up, Edward."

"I'm not giving up anything. I'm gaining." I replied angrily.

"God, you're such an _idiot_." she huffed.

I stood up, shaking. "If you don't like my choice, keep it to yourself!"

"No! I _will_ _not_ keep it to myself, Edward Cullen!" she yelled, her teeth bared. "Ever since you became a human, you haven't even _thought_ about what you're giving up!"

"I just told you! I'm not giving up _anything_!" I was mad now, but I knew I would be no match against Alice if I was to smack her.

"_US_!" she screamed. "You're giving up _US_!"

I froze, staring at her.

"We're your _family_." she said, quieter now. "We're supposed to stick together. You can't just go off and die on us."

The word sent chills up my spine; I ignored it. "Alice, it's my choice."

"I know that." she whispered. "I just thought you'd choose different."

And then she left the room, and I had a bad feeling that if she was human, she would have been crying. Jasper got up quickly and followed her, sending me a death glare. I slowly sat down on the couch, still shaking in anger.

"She's sort of right you know." Emmett muttered beside me. "Why would _anyone_ want to be human?"

"_I _think it's a fantastic choice." Rosalie's voice was right behind me, and I jumped, turning around.

"I could care less, Rose." I mumbled, getting back up and walking out of the room.

Rosalie wasn't going to let me off that easy. She was in front of me before I had even gotten to the hallway. Her hands were on her hips, and she was grimacing.

"Tell me how you did it." she hissed. "_How_ did you become human?"

"Rosalie, I told you. I prayed." I said, trying to get past her; she blocked my way.

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but I don't buy it." she replied, frowning. "You don't believe that God cares about us. So why on Earth would you pray to him?"

"I ran out of options." I sighed. "I did the last thing I would ever think of doing. And it worked, so God obviously does care about us."

"So... you're saying that if I pray to God, he'll give me mortality?" she asked, eyes wide.

I doubted it would work that way. Rosalie only wanted mortality for vanity; and of course to have a child, but there was no way Emmett would turn human.

"I guess." I lied. "Can I go upstairs now?"

"One more thing." she put her hand up to stop me.

I waited, impatient.

"Don't listen to Alice. She doesn't know anything."

I rolled my eyes and walked past her; she didn't stop me this time. I ran up the stairs and down the hallway; back into my room. Bella was sitting up, her eyes scrunched.

"Oh, you're awake." I walked over to her and sat down. "What's wrong?"

"I heard Alice yelling." she replied, looking worriedly at me.

"Oh... um... that was nothing." I lied, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear hastily. "Would you like some supper? I think Esme is making pizza..."

She squinted her eyes in suspicion. "Edward, I heard what she was saying."

My heart sunk. "You did?"

She nodded. "And she was telling me the same thing yesterday."

Alice had already gotten to Bella. I frowned. Why was she doing this? Was she trying to turn Bella against me?

"Don't listen to her." I muttered. "She doesn't know what she's saying."

Bella bit her lip. "Edward..."

"Yes?"

She paused, looked down, took a deep breath, and then looked back up again. She gave me a small smile.

"Never mind." she said. "Um... yeah... I'm hungry. Let's go down and see if supper is ready."

I wondered so badly what she had been about to say, but asking her would just further press the subject at hand. I really didn't want to talk about Alice's opinions anymore.

I took her hand, but before going downstairs, I leaned in and kissed her tenderly. She kissed me back, holding me tightly to her.

So much heat, so much softness; it was almost too much. Too much to bear. I suddenly wanted to slam the door shut and push Bella onto my bed. The thought was so overpowering, that I almost did it. But I didn't. I quickly pulled away and let go of her.

"Don't want to pitch another tent." she giggled beside me, walking out the hallway.

There she was with the whole "pitching a tent" thing. What did that _mean_?

**~x~**

**So who do you guys think is right in this situation? Alice or Edward? Or are you kind of stuck in the middle of the road like Bella? Tell me in a review! (:**

**-C-**


	13. Thoughts

**A pretty short chapter, but it holds a lot of what's going on in Alice and Bella's heads. Review! (:**

**~x~**

**Alice's POV**

Why was he being so _stupid_? I had never, in my entire life, seen Edward act like such a... such a... urgh... such a _human. _I knew that he was a human now, of course, but I hadn't expected human traits to leak into him. I had thought he would have been as reasonable as he had been when he was a vampire. But _no_. Of _course_ not. He was stubborn, stupid, and annoying. Why couldn't he see what he was giving up?

I knew for a fact that Bella didn't want Edward as a human. Well, I guess she didn't mind him, but she'd always wanted to be a vampire. My visions had been so clear whenever I focused them on Bella. I could see her as a vampire; pale skin, red eyes, more beautiful than ever. And I knew that she still wanted it; she was just being her too kind self and trying to make Edward happy. Well, making Edward happy wasn't the main goal here. The main goal was for her to do what _she_ wanted. Not what _he_ wanted. How could the be together forever if they weren't immortal? Honestly, what had Edward been _thinking_, praying to God like that? Couldn't he have asked for a new car or something? Why _humanity_?

I didn't want to lose my brother. Hell, none of us did. He didn't even realize how selfish he was being right now. Turning human and giving up his family by doing so? It was dumb.

"_But Bella will just have to do the same thing if you turn her._" a voice in the back of my head murmured. "_She'll be forced to leave Charlie and Renee._"

But that was a completely different thing... wasn't it? I mean Edward had been with our family _way_ longer than Bella had been with hers. Didn't that make any difference?

I was starting to feel like an insensitive jerkface; ugh, I was starting to feel like Rosalie. I definitely didn't want to start acting like a bitch and a half.

"You okay, Alice?" Jasper's voice broke my thoughts and I nodded at him.

"I'm fine. Just thinking." I reassured him.

"I'm sorry Edward got mad at you. He didn't hurt your feelings, did he?" he wrapped me up in his arms and kissed my cheek.

"I'm fine." I repeated, pulling away. "I'm.. gonna go for a run. Maybe to the Canadian border and back. I'll see you later."

"Alright. Be careful." he said, grinning.

Haha. Like I _really_ needed to be careful.

**Bella's POV**

The days passed, and Edward was still as human as ever; and I was still completely undecided on Alice's offer. Did she really mean it? Would she really change me the moment I asked?

I hadn't told Edward what she'd told me. I was afraid he would be even more angry with her than he was already. They hadn't spoken for a few days, and it was almost impossible to stand. Edward and Alice were best friends, and now they wouldn't even look at each other.

I wanted everything to be back to normal. I wanted everything to fix itself back up; Edward could talk to Alice again, he'd be a vampire, and I would be the fragile little human. Everything just felt backwards now, and I wanted it to change.

But the thought of vampire Edward made me both happy and sad. I missed that version of him so much, yet human Edward had no boundaries. We could kiss like normal teenagers, and maybe if I pressed the question enough, have _sex_. The thought of that was almost too hard to pass up.

And of course, Edward was completely oblivious to the fact that I was trying to decide on which version of him I liked best. Now that he was human, he just wasn't as on top of things as he'd been before. Which was cute, but kind of annoying too.

Alice had made up her mind, it seemed. She wasn't talking to him until he begged her for immortality. I knew that if I just told Edward how I was feeling, it would make things so much better.

But he was so _happy _as a human. And was I really going to make him give that up for my own personal gain?

**~x~**

**So much confusion! Bella has no idea what to do! Tell Edward? Or just let him be happy as a human? What would you guys do if you were Bella? Tell me in a review! (:**

**-C-**


	14. Promise

**Okay, so I know I haven't updated in a little while, but I'm back. I apologize that I don't update this story as often as everyone would like, but writing these chapters takes time; and at the moment, time is something I don't really have. So I'm very very sorry.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter! And I know what you're thinking: "Is it just gonna be about Bella's options again, or are we finally going to _move on_?" Haha, well I have a bittersweet answer for you. Yes, we are finally moving on, but Bella's options are still going to keep popping up. :P**

**Enjoy!**

**~x~**

**Edward's POV**

You could tell that the tension had really built up between Alice and I. I tried to put it off as nothing so it wouldn't upset Bella, but I was pretty sure that she was noticing how Alice and I didn't even want to look at each other. And it was just like Bella to not ask if there was something going on; I could tell that she wanted so badly to know if Alice and I were ever going to make up, but to be honest, I didn't know if we were.

Alice was being so irrational. I wasn't being _selfish_ at all! If wanting to be human so Bella could live a long and happy _human_ life with me was selfish, then I obviously needed to be reminded of what the definition of "selfish" was in the dictionary.

Days passed, and I found myself becoming more used to the whole human thing. A few of my favorite things were eating, sleeping, and of course, kissing Bella. I had never thought that I would ever be able to practically lose all control when I was kissing her; when I was a vampire, I had been careful. But now, I kissed her with all the passion I felt for her, and sometimes tongue was added to the equation.

Those "teenage boy feelings" were obviously not going away any time soon. I had finally discovered what Bella meant by "pitching a tent". I had looked it up on Urban Dictionary, and found many confusing definitions such as:

"_See Omar-the-tent-maker_" and "_What Sherman did after he hooked up with Ashley in the movies_"

Finally, I had found a reliable definition:

"_The art of lifting the material of your pants covering the groin using only body parts below the waist._"

Though I had pretty much understood, my eyes fell to the definition below it; Just one simple word:

"_Erection._"

For some reason, I had turned red at the word_. _It was most likely because Bella had mentioned it on a few occasions, and if having Bella talking about my hormonal feelings towards her was embarrassing enough, she seemed to _enjoy_ commenting on it.

That had made me turn even redder.

The first few times, she'd only _warned_ me that I might start "pitching a tent". But more recently, the tent had already pitched itself before she could warn me.

~x~

I had come over to her house while Charlie was at work; she immediately took my hand and led me up the stairs and into her bedroom. We were supposed to be working on her History paper, but somehow, just by leaning in to whisper a historic date in her ear, we had ended up on her bed with our lips locked in a passionate kiss.

Since no self control was needed, we ended up under her covers. I wasn't very coherent; I wasn't taking into account that I still planned to save myself until marriage. Somehow, my shirt was removed and Bella's pants were hanging on her feet. I tugged them fully off and continued to kiss her hungrily.

"Pants off." she whispered, bringing her hand down to my zipper.

Just that one touch; that one fraction of a second where her fingertips pressed against my groin, had made that peculiar feeling go through me. The feeling I had gotten on my second day of being human, when I had gotten in Bella's shower. The feeling that had made a certain organ below the waist grow larger than normal.

I was "pitching a tent". Now I understood the slang term, and just that one second of coherency made me push her hand away which had now started to unbutton my jeans.

"Stop." I gasped, pulling the covers off of me.

The light was almost blinding, seeing as we had been under the covers in the dark for so long. I found myself almost gulping down the non-suffocating air, as I pulled the covers off Bella as well.

This was the very first time I had seen her legs. They were _exquisite_. So long and smooth looking; _beautiful_.

But I couldn't let myself get distracted by them; I quickly looked away and got off the bed, running my fingers through my hair and turning away from Bella.

"Edward, please don't ruin the moment." Bella groaned behind me. "_Please_."

"I'm not ruining the moment, because the moment is _over_." I dismissed, opening her bedroom door and rushing to the bathroom.

I shut my eyes and began thinking about dead animals. I had seen _that_ more than anyone else had in their entire lives.

Just as I was rid of my problem, I heard a knock on the bathroom door. I sighed, turned around, and opened it.

There she was, in all her pants-less glory. Were those _lac_e panties? The problem almost immediately returned; but I didn't let it. I ignored her gorgeous lower half and focused on her face; she was frowning.

"Are you okay?" she asked, pressing her hand to my chest; I trembled.

She pulled it back, looking a little shocked. "Do I make you _nervous_?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Your touch especially." I commented, sliding past her and walking into her room. "Um.. you should put your pants back on."

She didn't reply, but I heard the squeak as she sat on the bed again. I pulled my shirt back on and turned around.

_God_, she still wasn't wearing them. Before I could stop myself, the words spilled out of my mouth, a little more ignorant that I had planned.

"Bella, put your God damn pants back on." I growled, spinning around again.

"_You _took them off." she retaliated. "_You _put them back on."

"Bella, please." I groaned. "You're upset with me aren't you? I'm sorry; I didn't intend for it to go that far."

"Then you shouldn't have let it." she replied, and to my intense shock, I heard the little sob gurgle in her throat.

I spun around, and saw that her eyes were full of tears. Her cheeks were a deep crimson, and she had her arms crossed. I didn't speak; I walked over to her and held her to me, avoiding her legs with my hands, though I longed to caress the beautiful silky skin.

"Do you know how _crazy_ you make me?" I murmured into her hair. "You have no idea how much I want to..." I trailed off, letting her take it whatever way she wanted to.

"Then why not?" she whispered, tugging at the bottom of my shirt. "Why can't we? You can't keep leading me on like this, Edward. Make up your mind. Do you want to make love or not?"

"I _do_." I groaned, frustrated. "So _bad_."

"Then let's do it." she said, sitting up and straddling my legs.

"_God_, don't." I said, rolling over so she rolled off. "That's one of the things that makes me crazy."

"I don't understand, Edward. You want to make love, but you're pushing me away." she scowled, crossing her arms again.

"You're so adorable when you're confused." I whispered, staring into her eyes.

"Don't change the subject." she said, though she turned pink at my words.

I sighed, sitting up to face her.

"I'm not... ready." I said quietly. "Not yet. Just... can we just wait a little while? Until I've completely gotten the hang of this human thing?"

"When will that be?" she asked, trailing her fingers up and down my forearm.

"When I'm 18?" I chuckled. "Please?"

"When will that be?" she repeated. "You've never told me your birthday."

"June 20th." I said shortly. "And then we'll wait for _your_ birthday and-"

"No. The night of your birthday, we're doing it. Don't back out, Edward." she said quickly.

"But I'll be 18. And you'll still be 17." I said, frowning.

"You're over a hundred years old technically." she pointed out. "I'm basically in love with an old dude"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Whatever, Bella. My birthday."

She hesitated before she spoke. "Do you promise?" she whispered.

I peered into her eyes; her beautiful, big, brown, innocent, pleading eyes.

I sighed. "I promise."

~x~

And that one little promise had been running through my mind for _days_. June was _next month_. In a _month_, Bella and I were going to make love. A _month_.

I knew that those who planned when to make love usually didn't have a very good relationship, but it was different for Bella and I. I was practically a child at the moment; I was trying to adapt to being a human, and I was completely helpless right now. I swear, it almost felt like Bella was my _mother_.

"Edward, watch out for that car!" Bella would yelp as I walked out into incoming traffic, forgetting that I was no longer indestructible.

Or "Edward, you have barbeque sauce all over your face." she would tell me after I'd practically stuck my face in my food.

I didn't like feeling like a child; it turned out the way I'd treated Bella when I was a vampire was very similar to the way I was being treated now. Over protected, worried over, and immature. I'd had no idea that my protective side had caused Bella to feel this way. I guess that after James has bitten her it had gotten worse. I had been so afraid that she was going to leave her house and randomly get bitten by another vampire.

While being treated like a child was irritating, the worst thing about being a human now was the fact that my speed was _gone_. I couldn't run from here to there in less than a second anymore. Now I had to _walk_, which was such a chore for someone who used to be able to run so fast they were a blur.

Anyway, soon enough I would be fully adapted to being a human, and then things would be so difficult. For the first time in over a hundred years, I was excited for my birthday to hurry up and get here.

**~x~**

**Alright! So Edward made a promise to Bella! Do you think he's going to keep it? Review! (:**

**-C-**


	15. Vision

**Ah, another snow day! No school! That's the beauty of Canada ;)**

**This chapter started out as just fluff, but it somehow changed; I like how it came out. ****Enjoy! And please review! :)**

**~x~**

I heard my alarm go off at 5:00 in the morning, and I felt Edwards heavy form slide off the bed. He turned it off and yawned; I pretended that I was still asleep. He always did the sweetest things when he thought I was sleeping.

Sure enough, I felt his soft thumb caress my cheek, and I felt his warm lips kiss my forehead.

"I'll be back soon." he whispered. "I love you, Bella."

I fought the urge to say it back, and I carried on pretending to sleep. I heard the window open.

"Ready?" Emmett's voice asked.

Alice had stopped coming to get Edward; they were still mad at each other. School was over now, and they still hadn't talked; I had never seen a fight between the Cullen's last this long. It was kind of frightening; would they _ever_ make up? I didn't want to tell Edward how I felt, because that would be meddling in something that wasn't any of my business.

"Yes." Edward replied to Emmett, and I heard him being slung onto Emmett's back. "This is so annoying."

"It's hilarious." I heard Emmett chuckle, and then they were gone.

He'd be back in half an hour, after Charlie was gone. He was going fishing today, so he always left super early. I closed my eyes again, picturing Edward's face behind my lids. That was all it took to help me fall asleep again.

~x~

I woke up again to feel arms wrapped around me, and warm breath against the back of my neck. I slowly turned around, trying not to laugh at Edward's sleeping form. Mouth open, drool running down his chin, little snores coming from the back of this throat...

I carefully got out of bed and grabbed my clothes and my bathroom bag. I left the room and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

After I was ready for the day, I went back into my room; Edward was now on the floor, snoring loudly. I snorted, going over to turn on my computer; I'm sure my mom was expecting an answer from her last e-mail. Then, I opened the door again and walked downstairs. I'd make a big breakfast for Edward and I; I'm talking bacon, hash browns, waffles, and eggs. Of course, the eggs would only be for me.

Once the bacon was sizzling, the hash browns were in the oven, the waffles were in the toaster, and the eggs were frying, I sat down to wait for everything to be done. I noticed the newspaper and picked it up, looking at the headline curiously. A missing hiker? Wasn't that the fourth one this month? People were saying it was a bear that was killing these hikers, but some claimed it was too big to be a bear. Whatever it was, I hoped they would find it soon.

The oven beeped and I got up to take the hash browns out of the oven. I finished making breakfast, and as soon as I had everything ready on the table, I heard footsteps on the stairs. I turned around and smiled when I saw Edward walking down in his pajamas. He entered the room and his eyes widened.

"You made us breakfast?" he asked, grinning.

I nodded, and sat down at the table.

He walked over and kissed my forehead; I blushed. Then he sat down and began to eat.

"Mmm... this is delicious, Bella." he said, biting into his waffle.

"Thanks." I replied, taking a bite of bacon. "Hey, did you hear about all these missing hikers?"

He nodded. "Everyone is saying it's just an oversized bear. It's not an impossible thought; I've seen grizzly bears bigger than your bed."

"That's good. I was a bit worried; you would know if it was a _vampire_, right?" I asked uneasily.

"Well, my family would know. I can't sense a vampires in town anymore. We could go to my home after breakfast if you'd like." he suggested.

And witness more of the Edward and Alice anger fest? No thanks. I shook my head and sighed.

"No. Let's do something alone today. It seems like your family doesn't want to keep you out of their sight; we haven't hung out by ourselves for a month." I replied

He smiled. "Alright. What would you like to do?"

I peered out the window; summer was practically here already. The sun was shining, and it looked pretty hot.

"We could go down to La Push." I suggested.

"I can't go there, remember?" he sighed.

"Yes you can. You're not a vampire anymore." I told him.

"Yes, but I'm still a Cullen; I'm pretty sure that counts for something for them." he rolled his eyes.

"I could ask Jacob." I suggested. "I mean, I know he doesn't know everything about the treaty, but he could ask his Dad or something..."

"No one else is supposed to know that you know about vampires, Bella." he said. "La Push is off limits for me."

I shook my head. "Fine. Let's go to the meadow then."

He nodded, then hesitated for a moment. Then said, "I'm sorry we can't go to La Push, Bella. If you'd really like to go, I'm sure you could ask Jacob to join you."

**(AN: Remember, Edward has absolutely no reason to hate Jacob right now.)**

"I want to spend time with _you_. Besides, I haven't seen Jacob since prom. That was, what? Three weeks ago? He'll live." I shrugged. "And I only just got out of that stupid cast last week. So we're doing something fun; end of story."

He laughed. "Something fun... the meadow is fun?"

"When you're with me, _everything_ is fun." I winked. "Now hurry up and finish eating so we can leave."

He chuckled and continued eating. As soon as we finished, I went back upstairs and sent a quick reply to my mom's e-mail. Then, Edward and I set off for the meadow.

"You _do_ realize that it's going to take a long time to get there. I can't run with you anymore." he bit his lip.

"I know. We can have a nice talk on the way." I smiled.

We got in my truck and drove to the forest's entrance. Of course, I had absolutely no idea how to get to the meadow; Edward still remembered though, so he led the way. He held my hand, and like the first time we'd come this way, pushed branches out of the way for me. We talked about music, books, schools, scholarships, food... and then he brought up the topic I had really been hoping he wouldn't bring up.

"I'm right, aren't I Bella? Alice has no idea what she's talking about." he began. "I mean, she says I'm _selfish_? How is changing for _you_ selfish? Maybe she's jealous... maybe _she_ wants to be human. Though, I never would expect that from Alice; maybe Rosalie got to her or something. It makes me so angry. _Selfish_. Selfish my _ass_."

"Edward, would you seriously just _shut up_?" I snapped. "You're killing my buzz."

"Your 'buzz'?" he questioned.

"My _happy_ buzz! Cut the crap about Alice and just walk." I replied, scowling.

"It's not _crap_! It's true! She's completely wrong about me. I would have thought that my best friend would have understood, but she's the only one that doesn't! It makes no sense for her to act like she knows everything, when really she-"

"URGH!" I exclaimed, pulling my hand away and walking ahead of him.

He was quiet for a few minutes, and I kept my fast speed until I had to slow down. As soon as he caught up, he took my hand again.

"Sorry." he sighed. "I'll shut up."

I pulled away again. "You're being an _asshole_, Edward Cullen. Alice _loves_ you! She's only thinking about what's best for you!"

He stopped short. "You think that being a vampire is what's _best for me_?"

Crap.

"H-how could you say that?" he asked, and I saw that he was genuinely hurt. "I did this for _you_. I changed for _you_."

"I know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." I lied. "If you want to be a human, then I'm not going to stop you."

I tried to take his hand but he pulled it away. "You don't want me to be a human?" He sounded disbelieving

"O-of course I want it." I stuttered. "Come on, we're almost there."

"Bella, be honest with me." he whispered, still not moving.

Our eyes locked, and it was so hard to lie to him. "I want you as a human."

He slowly nodded, and then took a relieved breath.

We didn't talk anymore; we just walked and walked until we reached the clearing. I pushed away the ferns, and we were in our meadow. It was beautiful as always, even more beautiful in the summer sun. I suddenly realized that Edward had yet to see himself in the sun as a human. I watched as he hesitated, peering up at the bright sun and squinting his eyes. I walked to the middle of the meadow and sat down in the grass and the pretty blue, purple, white, and yellow flowers.

"Come here." I urged quietly, smiling.

He took a deep breath and walked out into the sun. Obviously, he didn't sparkle. Not even a shine. His pale skin looked just like mine did, seeing as we had the same skin tone. It looked very porcelain and delicate; still unmistakeably beautiful. I noticed that he still seemed a little self conscious about his looks; how could he not see that he was still just as gorgeous as he had always been?

"You're beautiful." I whispered, urging him forward.

He shook his head, his face flushing. "I'm not." he mumbled.

I got back up and walked over to him. I grabbed both his arms and pulled him back to the middle with me. He laid down and I lay beside him, putting my head on his chest. His heartbeat was quick and defined; it pumped against my cheek and it sounded absolutely perfect.

"You are." I murmured. "You're gorgeous."

His fingers began to run through my hair, and his heartbeat slowed to a normal pace. We lay there in the meadow, not talking. We just listened to the birds chirping, the stream gurgling nearby, and I listened to his heart.

"Total reverse in roles." I sighed after a little while. "The only thing that could make this a deja vu would be if I was a vampire."

He chuckled, kissing my head. "That's the last thing I want."

I grimaced, knowing he couldn't see me.

"I adore you." he whispered. "You have no idea how much I adore you."

I blushed, leaning into him a bit more. "If it's as much as I adore you, then I think I have an idea."

He smiled into my hair. "You compare one tree to the entire forest."

I rolled my eyes, grinning.

We continued to lie there in silence; I don't know how long we were there, but soon enough, I found myself drifting into a peaceful sleep.

~x~

I awoke to Edward speaking to someone. I was so groggy and half asleep, that at first I felt like just closing my eyes again. But I realized that his voice was rushed and frightened. I sat up, realizing that we were suddenly in total darkness.

"I didn't know. I thought it was bears. The newspaper said it was bears. Why the hell didn't you tell me?" he was saying frantically.

Once my eyes adjusted, I saw that he was on his little silver cell phone.

"What do you mean, you tried to call? Alice, this is serious!" he exclaimed, running one hand through his hair. "Get Em and Jazz to come get us. Now."

And then he shut the phone, his eyes glinting in anger. He turned and saw that I was awake.

"What's going on?" I was completely awake now, and I was just as worried as he seemed to be.

"Alice had a vision. Those hikers haven't been getting killed by bears. There's a vampire here." he hissed. "She's sending Emmett and Jasper now to come get us. I can't believe we fell asleep!"

"Edward, who is it?" I was frantic now, my hands shaking.

"They don't know. All she saw was a dead human; there was a bite mark in his arm; it's the hiker that went missing yesterday. She saw a dark shadow hunch over it and pick it up; obviously about to hide it somewhere. The vision took place not far from this meadow." he said this all so fast, that if I couldn't clearly see his human form, I would have thought he was a vampire again; he certainly _sounded_ like one. He was practically growling in anger.

"She told me she saw it an hour ago. _An hour ago_. The vampire could have come by anytime after that. She said she thought we were at your house. She called there and couldn't reach us." he explained. "And of course, she claims she called the cell phone a few times but I don't believe her."

"_Edward_." I gasped. "You're seriously not suggesting that she _wanted _the vampire to get us, are you? Get _real_."

He was about to reply, but Jasper and Emmett were suddenly in front of us, eyes wide and concerned.

"Come on, let's go." Emmett said, grabbing Edward and slinging him onto his back.

Jasper picked me up and I gripped his chest, shutting my eyes tight as we ran. I didn't want to throw up on him.

As soon as we arrived at the Cullen's house, we went into the living room. Alice was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands. Everyone was around her, looking tense.

"What's wrong with Alice?" I asked, hopping off Jasper and running over to her.

"Headache." she moaned. "I'm trying to see who the vampire is; I have to search through _everything_. It hurts my brain."

Jasper was beside her in a second, holding her to him. "It's alright, darlin'. Don't over-exert yourself."

"Don't say _that_!" Edward exclaimed. "We need to find out who the vampire is."

"Edward, stop being so insensitive." Esme snapped, frowning. "She's trying her best."

Human emotions had definitely gotten the best of Edward; he was totally an irritable teenage boy at the moment, angry at everyone. He sat down in the big armchair, putting his head in his hands. He had a right to be worried, but he had no right to be so mean to Alice; like Esme said, Alice was trying her best.

We sat in the living room for a long time. Carlisle finally turned to me and sighed.

"It's late, Bella. Charlie will be worried."

I nodded. "Please call if Alice sees who it is."

He nodded back, and Edward took my hand. "Let's go."

"We'll carry you to Bella's truck." Emmett said.

But just as we were about to leave, Alice suddenly gasped. Everyone turned, the vampires in the room running over to her with anticipation in their eyes.

"What is it, Alice? What did you see?" Jasper asked, taking her hand; it sounded exactly like the way he had spoke to her in Phoenix a few months ago, when she'd had a vision about James.

"The vampire." she gasped. "The one killing all those hikers..."

She looked up at everyone, fear in her eyes.

"Laurent." she whispered.

**~x~**

**Oh SNAP.**

**Review :P**

**-Catherine-**


	16. Buffy

**Hey dudes! New chappie! :D**

**-x-**

I didn't want to go home, but I knew that I had to. Charlie was probably worried, and there really wasn't anything I could do at the Cullen's but be in the way. They'd started to plan... something. Some way to get to Laurent before he killed any more people.

Edward had gone into full on protective mode; as we walked up the steps to Charlie's house, he was holding me behind him, his eyes scanning around the darkness.

"I can't see _anything_." he grumbled. "Everything's too dark."

"You're a human. Get used to it." I said, a little too harshly; I was angry at him for being so mean to Alice.

He grabbed the key and unlocked the door. Before he could go inside, I grabbed his arm.

"_I _have to go in first." I hissed. "You can't be acting like someone's going to kill me, around _Charlie_."

He sighed, but let me go in first. As soon as I was inside, he followed suit and quickly shut the door.

I heard the couch move, and Charlie's feet hit the floor. He was in front of us in an instant.

"Where have you been?" he asked, looking relieved.

"Edward and I lost track of time. We were watching a movie with his family." I lied, taking off my jacket. "Is it alright if he comes in?"

He nodded. "But not for too long, alright?"

"Okay." I said offhandedly, grabbing Edward's arm and dragging him into the house.

"And_ no_ funny business." Charlie said sternly, raising his eyebrows.

"Sure thing." I said, knowing that Charlie still felt extremely awkward about how he had walked in on me and Edward the first night he'd been human.

I pulled Edward up the stairs and shut the door behind us. I sat down on the bed, but Edward began to pace around the room.

"What are we going to do?" I asked quietly, staring at my hands. "_Laurent_ is here. He promised he wouldn't hunt in this area anymore."

"He's most likely here on Victoria's orders. That's what Alice sees." he sat down in my computer chair and put his head in his hands.

"So we're in danger?" I whispered, looking over at him.

"I don't know." he sighed.

We were quiet for a few moments, and I got off the bed.

"I'm going to go get a shower." I muttered, opening the door.

"Wait." he said, getting up and taking my hand.

I didn't even have to ask what he wanted; I saw it in his eyes. I leaned up and kissed him lightly, his warmth radiating from him to me. I pulled away and gave him a hug, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I'll head home now, alright?" he murmured into my hair.

"Okay." I whispered.

He pulled away and smiled slightly at me. "Be safe."

I nodded. "I will. But don't worry, Edward. I'm not going to get sucked down the drain."

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand again, looking at me innocently. "One more?"

I laughed and kissed him again, grabbing his face with both of my hands. I pulled away and our lips made a loud smacking noise; like a suction cup. I burst out laughing.

He chuckled and walked out of the room; I saw him out the door and then I went back upstairs.

In the hot shower, my thoughts became muggy and confusing; it didn't clear my head like I'd been hoping it would. One thought was clear though; more prominent than the other ones.

Laurent was here; for who knew _what _reason. He had not posed as any sort of threat to the Cullen's before this, so why was everyone so uneasy? Edward had just said that he might be acting on Victoria's orders. But why would Victoria want to come back here anyway? Did she think James was still alive, and that the Cullen's were holding him captive or something? I could think of no other reason to why she would have sent Laurent here.

I got out of the shower and put on my pajamas. Edward was already lying in bed.

"I'll be there in a second." I whispered, going back out to the hall.

I walked downstairs and saw that everything was turned off; Charlie had obviously gone to bed. As I walked back up the stairs again, I heard his loud snores coming from his bedroom. Good.

I went back in my room, shutting the door behind me. I tiptoed over to the bed and slid in beside Edward. As soon as I was by his side, he wrapped his arms around me and snuggled his face into the back of my neck.

"You're spooning me." I whispered, smiling at the prospect.

"Mmm hmmm.." he replied, holding me tighter. "You're so soft..."

I grinned and shut my eyes, sighing. "'Night Edward."

"Goodnight, my love." he murmured.

Human or not, Edward was still just as old fashioned as he'd been before.

-x-

The next day, Edward and I planned to go to the Cullen's house to do whatever we could to help. Of course, we didn't really think there was actually anything we _could_ do to help. What could two humans do for them?

But that was plan was thrown out the window when the phone rang and I answered it.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone as Edward sat at the table eating a bowl of cereal.

"Bella! Hey! It's Jacob!" the other voice said happily.

I couldn't help but smile. "Hey! How are you?"

"I'm great! I was just wondering if you wanted to come hang out here in La Push today? We could go to the beach and catch up."

"Hold on one second, Jacob." I said, and Edward looking up at the word 'Jacob'.

"He wants me to spend the day with him." I said, covering the speaker with my hand.

"Bella, you don't have to ask my _permission_." Edward's eyes widened. "Do whatever you want. Just stay safe."

I nodded, uncovering the phone and bringing it back up to my ear.

"That sounds great, Jake. What time should I meet you down there?" I asked.

"How about right now? It only takes you fifteen minutes to get down here; and it takes me 10 minutes to walk to the beach."

"Sounds good. I'll see you soon." I said, and I hung up.

I walked over to the coat hook and grabbed my jacket; it didn't look very pleasant outside.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" I asked, hesitating in front of Edward.

He shook his head. "Emmett can come get me."

"Okay. Be safe." I said; it sounded weird to say that to Edward.

"I will as long as you will." he winked.

I giggled and he stood up to wrap his arms around me. He kissed me tenderly and pulled away.

"Have fun." he said with a little smile.

"I will." I turned and opened the front door.

"I love you!" he called out to me.

"I love you too!"

I got in my truck and pulled out of the driveway. I drove to La Push with a smile on my face, knowing that Jacob would be able to make me forget all my worries. He was so happy and carefree that it couldn't help but rub off onto me.

-x-

**Edward's POV**

I watched her truck disappear from sight. I sighed and quickly washed my bowl and spoon in her sink, then I picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello?" Carlisle's voice asked on the other line.

"Can Emmett come get me and bring me home?" I asked, peering out the window.

"Of course. He'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks."

I hung up and pulled on my hoodie that was hanging on the chair. Once my hood was up and my shoes were on, Emmett was pounding at the door. I pulled it open.

"Emmett, you really don't have to knock that loud." I sighed.

He grinned and and pointed to his back. I rolled my eyes and hopped on; even though I'd done it so many times now, this was still _so _weird.

He started running through the woods by Bella's house, and soon we were at my home. Emmett pulled me off his back and set me down on the ground. I slowly trudged to the front door, while Emmett raced there at vampire speed. Man, this human pace was such a pain.

I walked inside the house to find Alice sitting on the couch flipping through a magazine. She looked up when I came in, but I pretended she wasn't there and just continued walking through the house. I entered the kitchen and found Esme peeling potatoes.

"Edward! You're home!" she said warmly. "I'm making you and Bella a nice supper for this evening. Where is she?"

"With Jacob Black." I sighed, climbing up onto the counter and swinging my legs over the side. "And that's really nice of you, Mom. Thanks."

She smiled and went back to peeling the potatoes.

"Where is everyone?" I questioned, peering around the kitchen.

"Upstairs in your father's office. They're discussing what we're going to do about Laurent." she suddenly tutted loudly. "Emmett just knocked over a pile of books. He better pick them up."

I gave her a little smile and slid off the counter. "I'm going to go see if there's anything I can do to help."

She froze and bit her lip. "Um, they told me to keep you occupied, dear. They don't really have anything for you to do."

I slowly processed that, feeling disappointed and slightly hurt. "Oh."

"Awe, honey, I'm sorry." she dropped the potato and wrapped her arms around me. "I know that must hurt."

I pulled away, shaking my head. "No. It's fine." I lied. "I'll... I'll go play some piano."

"Good idea." she replied with a smile.

I left the room and walked into the living room. Alice looked up again, but I ignored her. I sat at the piano and gently ran my fingers over the keys. I began to play Esme's song, but I found myself slipping up on a few notes, and accidentally hitting the wrong keys. I was absolutely mortified. Did being a human really mean that I was no longer perfect in the art of piano? That was absurd; and terrifying. Piano was my passion, and now I couldn't even do it correctly?

"Do you need some help?" Alice asked, suddenly behind me.

I shut my eyes. "No. Now please leave me alone."

"Edward, I-"

"Alice, go away." I said hardly.

There was silence, and then I heard the _woosh_ as she disappeared up the stairs.

I tried playing Bella's lullaby, but the terrible sour notes I played made me want to punch myself in the face. I walked away from the piano, grumbling to myself.

Now what was I going to do? Bella was going to be with Jacob Black for most of the day, and whenever I wasn't with her, I was so bored that I couldn't ever find something to occupy myself with. I flopped onto the couch and turned on the television. Maybe, as a human, I would find interest in TV.

I flicked through "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to "MTV Cribs" to "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" reruns. At least that show would give me some laughs.

But alas, I'd tuned into the very first episode, which hardly gave me anything to laugh about, seeing as she wasn't slaying any "vampires" yet. I watched the entire episode through, and then ran over to the computer to watch the next episode online.

And that was how I spent the day; watching episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" like a complete girl. I even grabbed a container of ice cream and a spoon to help me deal with Bella's absence. I wondered what was doing with Jacob today...

**-x-**

**Wow. What an exciting day for Edward, huh? xD**

**Please review! I have over 200 reviews for this story; thank you all so much (:**

**-C-**


	17. Billy

**New chapter! WOOOOO! Please review it, my lovelies! :D**

**-x-**

I arrived in La Push and drove to First Beach. I could already see Jacob sitting at the familiar driftwood tree, staring out at the ocean. I parked and got out of the truck, pulling my hood up; there was a thin mist of rain in the air. I shut the door and trudged down to the beach, my hands in my pockets. I was already shivering, and I realized I should have worn my other jacket.

Once I reached Jacob, he turned and a grin immediately appeared on his face.

"Hey, Bella!" he said happily. "Wow, it's really great to see you again!"

"Good to see you too." I said, smiling back.

I tried not to seem flirty as I sat down beside him on the tree's low branch. I felt bad that I'd led him on all those months ago; I'd given him false hope. But he seemed cheerful enough, and at the prom he'd at least tried to understand that I was with Edward. That was all that mattered, I guess.

"So, what do you want to do today?" he asked, still grinning. "Do you want to just hang out here for a little while? Or I could show you the Rabbit, if you'd like. It's almost done."

"The Rabbit?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

He laughed. "My car. Sorry, I forgot you don't know cars like I do."

I laughed with him. All of a sudden, a gust of wind blew our way, chilling my damp jacket. I shivered.

"You're cold." he said, frowning. "Maybe the beach wasn't such a good idea. Come on, let's go to my house."

We ran to my truck, and and I blasted the heat as soon as Jacob's door was closed. Jacob told me where his house was, and we began to short drive up the road.

"So... how have you been?" he asked, turning to look at me.

"Pretty good." I said, smiling. "A lot of complicated stuff going on, but I'm okay."

"What kind for complicated stuff?" Jacob pressed, raising his eyebrows.

"It's not that big a deal, honestly." I said, trying to keep my tone light.

"Okay... but it wouldn't be so bad to talk about it,would it? I mean, people feel better when they tell people their problems." Jacob shrugged, turning to look out the window again.

I sighed. I could hardly tell Jacob that there was a vampire in town who may or may not have been sent to kill me. But I guess I could tell him the other part of the complicated situation I was currently in.

"Um... you know the Cullens, right?" I asked hesitantly.

He nodded, his smiling fading a little. "Yeah."

"Well... um... Edward and his sister are fighting. And it's bothering me because they're usually best friends." I said honestly, pulling into the driveway he pointed to. "It's hard to watch them hate each other. I thought the whole thing would blow over but it's been weeks."

I expected Jacob to tell me that he didn't want to hear about my boyfriend and his problems, but he surprised me by putting his hand on my shoulder.

"That sucks." he said, looking at my sympathetically. "How serious is the fight?"

"_Really_ serious." I sighed. "They won't even look at each other."

"What happened? I mean, why are they fighting in the first place?" he questioned, and I bit my lip.

"I don't really know." I lied. "Edward doesn't want to tell me; he doesn't want to put me in the middle of it." At least the last part was sort of true.

"I'm sure it'll end soon, Bella." he reassured me. "Siblings fight. Some fights last longer than others. But if they were best friends before, I'm sure everything will turn out okay."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks, Jake."

"No problem." he smiled back.

I turned off the truck and he took his hand off my shoulder. We got out and I got a good look at Jacob's house. It was red and small; it kind of looked like a barn of some sort. But there was windows and and a little tiny building over to the left, which I guessed was the garage. Jacob walked me down the little walkway and opened the front door.

"Dad! We have a guest!" Jacob called, unzipping his jacket, which I noticed was even thinner than mine; he didn't seem cold though. Weird.

Billy wheeled into the porch and his eyes widened in surprise. "Why, hello Bella. Nice to see you."

"You too." I nodded to him and hung my jacket on the coat rack.

I definitely didn't forget what Jacob had said to me at the prom. I knew how Billy felt about my connection with the Cullens. That didn't mean I was going to stop seeing them, though; it was my life, not his. I understood that he was just looking out for me, but paying Jacob off like that just wasn't okay with me.

Jacob led me through the house and into the living room. I sat down on the couch and he sat down beside me.

"So, is there anything else that's been bothering you? Besides Edward and his sister?" he asked, smiling.

So he could see that there was more. I didn't want to say anything else because I knew Billy was in the hallway listening. And besides, I couldn't tell Jacob the main part of my complicated situation. It involved vampires, and that definitely wasn't a subject to bring up in La Push of all places.

"Well I've been kind of worried about all these bear sightings." I said. "All those hikers going missing..."

There. I already knew that it was actually Laurent killing all these people, but at least there was an alternate way for me to voice my concern.

"Don't be." Billy was suddenly in the living room, eyes hard. "There's no need to worry about the sightings."

I looked at him, confused. Did he know it was a vampire? He didn't think it was one of the Cullens, did he? That would be bad; very very bad. What if he told someone? What if he told the chief of police? _Charlie_.

"Why not?" Jacob turned to his Dad, looking just as confused. "What else could be killing all these people?"

"I don't know. But don't you think these all these 'big bear' sightings are a little hard to believe? I mean, bears can't get that big." he said, still looking stern.

"Bears can be as big as a bed." I told him, using Edward's useful bit of information he'd given me the other day.

"Yeah; maybe as big as a _crib_." Billy chuckled, but his eyes stayed cold.

Was it possible that he actually knew it was a vampire? I knew that he believed in his ancestor's "superstitions", but he didn't really think it was a Cullen, did he? He was shooting daggers at me, like this entire conversation was something I should know _all_ about already. That led me to believe that he _did_ think it was a Cullen.

Before Jacob could question him, Billy was wheeling out of the room. "I'm going to order you guys a pizza." he called out to us.

"Awesome." Jacob said with a smile. "You hungry, Bella?"

"Yeah." I lied, not wanting him to feel bad; that big breakfast I'd made this morning had started to churn uncomfortably in my stomach.

"Let's go out to the garage." Jacob suggested, standing up.

I followed him, but I didn't reply. My mind was suddenly extremely scrambled, thoughts popping in and out right after the next. What did Billy _know_?

I wasn't very aware as Jacob and I trudged back down the little walkway. Even though the mist had turned to a slight shower, I couldn't even feel it on my skin. I was starting to feel afraid; was Billy willing to do _anything_ to get rid of the Cullens? Was he capable of doing something as extreme as that? The worst thing he could possibly do was tell Charlie about it. And that would either land him in a mental hospital, or land me in a horrible situation with Charlie. Though I liked Billy very much, I selfishly hoped that if he _did_ tell Charlie about vampires, the mental hospital option would occur.

But I couldn't think of that. I just _couldn't think_ about Billy telling Charlie. It was a frightening thing to think of. I blocked it from my mind, and at least tried to bring myself back into reality, where Jacob was now pulling a large sheet off of a red car in his garage.

"Ta da!" he said happily, the sheet whipping to the side. "It's almost done! I just have to put the master cylinder in it, and it'll be good to go."

"Congrats, Jake!" I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Wow, you did a really good job."

"You think so?" he asked, his ears turning pink. "Thanks, Bella."

He showed me the interior and we chatted about unimportant things like school until the pizza delivery guy showed up. Billy paid and told the guy to bring it to us. Jacob grabbed a slice and handed it to me; I nodded halfheartedly, and took a little bite. I _really_ wasn't hungry.

We talked about a few more things that weren't really revelent, and I forced myself to finish my one slice of pizza. When Jake offered me a second, I turned it down. He seemed absolutely gleeful that I was letting him eat the rest of the pizza itself.

"You should be full by now." I told him with wide eyes after he'd finished his seventh slice. "How are you _still_ hungry?"

He shrugged. "I don't really know. I didn't used to be able to eat this much. It's only just recently that my appetites gone up. Puberty I guess." he laughed.

As I watched him eat I only then realized how _big_ Jacob had gotten since prom. He was definitely a few inches taller, and a lot more muscular. It wasn't how the average fifteen year old boy was supposed to look. But I guess it had something to do with blood. Maybe people in his family got buff at a young age. I began to wonder if maybe Billy had been muscular as a teenager, but that brought back the unpleasant thoughts about our short conversation earlier today. I shook it off and concentrated on talking with Jake.

"Want to stay for supper?" Jacob asked hopefully after a game of cards.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I think I should get back home and start on Charlie's dinner." I said, standing up. "Today was really fun, Jake. Thanks for inviting me to come up."

"We should do it more often." he said with a smile. "I never see you anymore."

"Well that will change." I reassured him. "I'll come up again some time next week, okay? We can go for a ride in your Rabbit."

"Yeah!" he said excitedly. "We could drive up to the La Push cliffs. There's a really beautiful view up there."

"Sounds good." I nodded. "Well, I'll see you later."

"See you, Bella! Drive safe!" he called to me as I left the garage.

I ran to my truck and turned on the heat. As soon as I pulled out of Jacob's driveway, all of the peace and serenity Jacob had passed on to me vanished. Panic set in, and I found myself almost hyperventilating as I drove back to Forks.

Billy knew _something_. What it was, I wasn't sure. But what I did know was that I had to tell the Cullens right away. If Billy was planning on somehow exposing them, they needed to know it. Could my situation get any worse? Edward was human and was fighting with Alice, Laurent was in Forks killing people and might have been sent on Victoria's orders, and Billy seemed to think that one of the Cullens was killing the hikers. I had never had so many complications in my life.

And as I drove down the deserted little road back to Forks, a sudden movement in my rear view mirror made me slam on the breaks.

**-x-**

**Oh no! What did Bella see in her rear view mirror? Does Billy know something? IS EDWARD STILL WATCHING BUFFY?**

**New chapter coming soon, where all will be revealed.**

**o_O**

**Yeah... that was weird. Sorry. xD**

**Anyway, please leave a review and tell me your thoughts on this chapter! What do you guys think is going to happen? :)**

**-Catherine**


	18. Wolves

**So this took me literally ALL DAY to post, because Fan Fiction is being stupid today. It wouldn't let me upload any new chapters, and I was practically ripping my hair out in frustration. But I finally got it to work using a weird tactic I read on one of the forums. So... woop woop! New chapter! :P**

**Oh, and by the way, I now have a Formspring! The link is in my FF profile, and you can ask me anything you want and I'll answer. (You don't have to have an account to ask questions.)**

**Okay, now onto the chapter. Enjoy! :P**

**-x-**

My eyes were wide as I stared without breathing at my rear view mirror. There had been something there... a figure. Something that had suddenly disappeared when I'd looked. I gasped aloud when the first name I could think of popped into my head. Laurent.

There was no way I was going to be able to drive away if it was him. The only available option was to grab the little cell phone Edward had lent me for emergencies. The Cullens were on speed dial, so all I had to do was press 1.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Carlisle had recognized the number, and sounded concerned.

"I think Laurent is less than ten feet away from me." I whispered into the phone, knowing it would make no difference to Laurent's vampire hearing. "I need _help_."

There was a pause, and then a "We're on our way. Stay where you are." Then the phone went dead.

I stared at it, wondering how long it would take for them to get here. I glanced in my mirror again, but there was still nothing there. Had I been seeing things? Maybe the leaves on one of the trees had moved a certain way, and I was just paranoid.

But.. no. No, there had definitely been a figure there. And for all I knew, they could still be there, just hiding in the trees. I shivered.

The little cell rang, and I answered immediately, my voice frantic.

"Yes?" I squeaked.

"Bella, you're on the other side of the Quileute border." Carlisle's voice told me seriously. "We can't come over and get you."

Panic spread through me, freezing me in place; I couldn't speak.

"Bella?"

"I'm here." I said, my voice cracking. "What should I do?"

"It's not Laurent, Bella. It's okay; we can't smell a vampire." he reassured me. "But there is an unfamiliar scent that we're worried about. It smells like animal blood; we think a bear might be close."

I gasped. "The mutant bear?"

I was surprised when he chuckled darkly. "Possibly. But a bear can't get you when you're in your truck. All you need to do it drive to the border; we'll help you get home once you're here, just in case."

"Okay." I said slowly, relief washing over me. "Thank you."

I hung the phone up, and after one last look in my rear view mirror, I started driving. I drove a lot faster than I normally would have, mostly because I was afraid that the Cullens had somehow gotten their assumption wrong. What if it _was_ Laurent? What if he was disguising himself with some sort of animal blood facade?

But that _did_ sound sort of silly. I concentrated on getting to the border, and finally, I caught a glimpse of a shimmer in the distance. I suddenly realized that the sun had come out from behind the clouds during my... episode, and that it was shining directly onto the Cullens.

I'd only ever seen vampire Edward in the sunlight before, and even though I was still absolutely terrified of what might be following behind me, I couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful all of them looked. Their diamond like skin shone across the pavement like they were the sun themselves. I stopped the truck in front of them, and Emmett came forward.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Esme asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." I reassured her. "You're sure it wasn't Laurent?"

"Positive." Carlisle said, nodding to me.

"Come on, Bells. I'm taking you home." Emmett said, pulling me up onto his back.

"My truck!" I yelped out as I was flung around in the air for a few seconds.

"Jasper will drive it back." he replied, laughing.

I looked over at Jasper, who I was surprised to see wasn't standing beside Alice. Speaking of which... where was Alice? She hadn't come to see what was happening? She hadn't come to make sure I was okay? To help?

Emmett began to run, and I held onto the back of his shirt tightly, my eyes squeezed shut.

"Where's Alice?" I asked him loudly over the wind, though I knew he could hear me.

"She's shut in her room; been in there all day." he told me. "And she won't come out."

Before I could ask about it, we came to a halt and I opened my eyes. Here we were, right in front of Charlie's.

"Why is Alice in her room?" I asked as he helped me back onto the ground.

He shrugged. "Nobody knows. She's just been in there all day and she won't talk to anyone; not even Jasper."

His eyes were troubled, and I knew that it was a lot more serious than he was making it out to be.

"Did she have a vision or something? Something that upset her?" I questioned.

"We think it might be because of Edward." he sighed. "He's been pretty cold to her. She tried to talk to him earlier but he told her to go away; that's when she went into her bedroom."

The thought of Edward made me forget about Alice for the time being.

"Does Edward know I called you?" I asked frantically. "I need to call him and tell him I'm okay."

"No, don't worry, we didn't tell him. We didn't want him to get worked up over nothing if you ended up not being in any danger." he explained. "He's been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer all day; kind of depressing to see."

I raised my eyebrow, expecting him to add something to his little joke. He didn't, so my jaw dropped in shock.

"He's watching _Buffy_?"

"Yup." he popped the 'p' and grinned at me.

I shook my head in amusement and sighed. "Well I want to see him. Can you take me to your house?"

"Sure thing." he slung me onto his back, and then we were running again.

When we arrived at the house, my eyes scanned the front yard for any sign of a threat. That little episode back there had caused me to become paranoid all of a sudden. The rest of the Cullens were standing on the porch, sans Jasper and Alice. I guessed Jasper was still dropping off my truck, and Alice was still locked up in her room.

"See? She's fine." Rosalie huffed, exasperated.

I looked at her confused, and then I saw a bronze flicker of color rush past her. Edward was running to me.

"I thought you didn't tell him." I hissed to Emmett.

"I guess Carlisle decided to." he shrugged. "Sorry, Bella."

I was suddenly scooped up into a pair of warm arms.

"Bella! You're okay!" Edward rejoiced, leaning down to press his lips against my cheek. "I was so worried."

"Yeah... for two minutes." Emmett muttered, and he stalked off.

I guess Emmett was personally offended at Edward's attitude towards Alice; I would have to have a little talk with Edward about that. Well... after I informed the Cullen's about Billy Black's suspicious behavior.

"I'm fine." I laughed, pulling myself out of his arms. "Just a little paranoid."

He took my hand and we walked over to the others. They all looked a little... annoyed. Were they irritated at the fact that they'd had to come to my rescue? I mean... if dealing with Edward wasn't already enough, were they upset that I was still just as accident prone? That didn't seem at all like something Carlisle or Esme would be annoyed about; I'd accept it from Rose, but it just seemed weird coming from the others.

"Sorry I overreacted like that." I said uneasily, looking at everyone's annoyed faces. "I shouldn't have called, I guess."

Esme looked surprised at my apology. "My goodness, Bella! Don't apologize! If you ever think you're in trouble, we're the first people you should call! Don't be silly!"

"Then why do you all look so... irritated?" I questioned, confused.

Every pair of eyes flickered to Edward's face and then to the ground. Edward was oblivious to it; he was still too busy obsessing over the fact that I was safe.

"I should have been there... I should have come to help." he said seriously, squeezing my hand.

"And what could you have done, Edward? Been bait for the animal?" Rosalie scoffed.

"Rosalie." Carlisle sighed.

"What? I'm being honest; he would have been completely useless if he'd have come. If anything, he would have been in the way." and she turned and walked into the house.

In a normal situation, Carlisle and Esme would have comforted Edward; told him that Rosalie was just being Rosalie. But for some reason, they didn't say a word. They just turned and followed Rose into the house. Edward stared after them, eyebrows scrunched.

"Is she right?" he asked quietly, still looking at the door. "Would I have been useless?"

"I wouldn't have wanted you to be there, because I know you would have been extremely worried about me." I replied honestly.

He turned to me, his expression remaining the same. "Bella, be honest with me. Would I have been useless?"

I stared into his eyes, knowing that this was the second time I had to lie directly to his face when I so desperately did not want to.

"No. You would have been great." I breathed, squeezing his hand.

He looked down at our hands, and he didn't look back up. I gasped when I saw a tear drop slide down his nose and onto the porch.

"Edward, don't." I whispered, leaning toward him and hugging him tightly to me. "Don't cry."

"You're lying to me." he squeaked out, voice suddenly husky.

He looked up, and I saw the tears cascading down his face; the hurt expression overpowering everything else in that moment.

"You prefer me as a vampire." he whispered. "You hate me as a human. You hate it."

I frantically shook my head. "No. Edward, I _love_ you. I love you no matter what. Human or vampire, you're still my Edward. I don't prefer either; I just prefer _you_."

"_Your true self_" I added in my mind. "_The real you. The you who you've been for over a hundred years._"

I was still lying. After seeing his pained expression... after hearing his broken sob, I was still lying to him. I was horrible. I, for once, was a monster.

He nodded slowly, and I lifted my hand to wipe away his tears.

"Sorry for crying." he muttered, helping me dry them all. "I'm feeling very... hormonal today. I ate ice cream and watched Buffy online all day."

I giggled and put my hands on either side of his face. "That's adorable." I sighed, leaning in and pressing my lips to his.

When I pulled away, his eyes were dry and he was smiling. "I'm a baby." he chuckled. "That felt really weird just then. I haven't cried for... a _long_ time. But I remember I used to get really emotional at random moments. That was hardly something to cry over."

I shook my head. "You don't have to apologize. Everyone cries. I only cry when I'm mad though."

"I was pretty mad." he laughed, and I could tell he was still worried about what I'd said.

"Let's not talk about this anymore." I said quickly. "Come on, I have to tell everyone about what happened in La Push."

I hadn't known that Edward was so emotionally unstable as a human. I added that to my mental list of human Edward facts. He was sensitive, something I wouldn't have expected from him.

"Something happened? Besides the false alarm?" Edward asked, peering down at me as we walked into the house.

"Yeah. Billy was acting really... weird. I might be paranoid, but it seemed like he somehow thought that it was one of _you _that was killing all these hikers. He seemed totally defensive about all these bears; he didn't seem to believe that a bear was the culprit. And he didn't seem to believe that a human was the culprit either. I'm afraid he's going to tell Charlie... about vampires." I explained.

Everyone in the living room had heard my explanation. Emmett looked unphased but Esme looked concerned.

"I don't think Billy has the balls to do something like that." Emmett said, looking at Carlisle. "He wouldn't do it, right?"

"I don't think so." Carlisle agreed. "But who knows? We might be underestimating him. Tell me, Bella, how defensive was he about the bears? Did he acknowledge that they were innocent?"

"Actually, he seemed to think they weren't real." I replied. "I mean, even _I_, the one who knows what's _actually_ killing the hikers, believe that there's some kind of big bear in the woods. There's been so many sightings."

Edward suddenly gasped. "You don't think..."

"That animal in the woods..." Rosalie said, eyes wide. "The one that Bella saw in her rear view mirror..."

"We don't know what kind of animal it was." Carlisle said, though he suddenly looked worried.

"What? Are you saying the animal I saw earlier... the one I thought was Laurent... it was the big bear?" I asked, confused.

"It's not a bear." Edward murmured, turning to look out the window. "It's _them_."

"Them?" I questioned, feeling extremely stupid.

"The Qulieute tribe of this generation." Carlisle said, looking out as well. "The wolves."

I froze. My mind suddenly did a back track, recollecting that conversation I'd had with Jacob on the beach a few months ago...

"_You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf-well not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."_

"_Werewolves have enemies?"_

"_Only one."_

"Are you saying... are you saying that, that thing in the woods? That thing that everyone says is some sort of mutant bear... you're saying that it's a... _werewolf_?" I gasped, shocked at the conclusion they were coming to.

"Why else would Billy be so defensive about it? And why else would the description of people who have seen it say it was a big bear? Bears definitely don't get that big." Carlisle murmured.

"Neither do wolves." I choked out, absolutely horrified at the thought of another type of monster out there that could hurt me.

"You don't need to be worried, Bella." Esme soothed, rushing over to hug me. "Werewolves are nice to humans; it's vampires they're not so nice to."

"But... you're not in danger right? I mean, you guys could easily take down a couple of _wolves_." I said, relief washing over me.

They were quiet, and I looked at everyone in alarm. "You mean... you can't take them down?"

"They have extremely strong teeth." Emmett said, walking over to me. "They're almost as strong as us."

"And as fast as us- I mean.. and as fast as vampires." Edward added.

"And let's not forget." Carlisle sighed. "That they are not actually wolves. They are men; in this case, they might even be preteens and teenagers."

"How come you didn't know about them before?" I asked, biting my lip.

"We aren't aloud on the reservation, Bella. Remember?" Emmett sat back down on the couch. "Obviously there's a new werewolf who doesn't know what the hell he's doing."

It was all starting to make sense. Billy, being extremely disbelieving that there was any sort of _bear_ in the first place. He knew that it was a _wolf_, and he knew that it wasn't killing any of the hikers.

"Wait... you don't think _Billy_ is the wolf, do you?" I yelped, putting my hand to my mouth.

"He's too old." Rosalie muttered. "This werewolf has to be young."

"We also have to consider the fact that there might be _more_ than one." Edward sighed, turning away from the window. "If one boy phased, then there's no doubt that another one will follow."

"We need more information." Jasper's voice suddenly filled the room and everyone turned.

"Hey, Jazz. Where were you?" Edward asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"With Alice. Upstairs." Jasper said hardly, and then turned to Carlisle.

How bad was it? Was Alice depressed over this or something? I wouldn't be surprised; Edward was her best friend and he wouldn't even speak to her. I felt a sudden urge to run upstairs and comfort her, but I knew that this was a more important issue at the moment.

"As I was saying," Jasper continued. "We need more information. We might be over thinking all of this; it really could be a bear."

"And how are we supposed to get more information?" Edward asked Jasper quietly.

Jasper walked over to Carlisle, completely ignoring Edward. Edward looked down at the floor, and I reached over to grab his hand. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile.

"It all depends on whether Bella would be willing to visit La Push more often." Jasper told Carlisle. "We need her to look around, see if anything weird is going on; if _anyone_ is acting weird. She can get some information from Jacob as well; I'm sure he's up to date on what goes on in his community. The people, the news, the gossip... Bella can find it all out for us."

He suddenly turned to me. "If you'd be willing, that is."

"I don't want her anywhere near those wolves" Edward said, composing himself. "And Laurent is out there somewhere. She is _not_ going there."

I bit my lip. "Jacob invited me to go back out next week."

"No. No. Definitely not." Edward shook his head, and I let go of his hand.

"It's not your decision, Edward." I snapped, sounding more harsh than I meant to.

It didn't phase him; he turned to Carlisle. "You agree with me, don't you, Carlisle? It's not safe for her to be there by herself."

"I'll be with Jacob." I persisted, looking at Jasper. "I want to do it."

"It sounds harmless." Carlisle shrugged. "I think it's a good idea."

Edward groaned, running his fingers through his hair. The battle was lost, and he knew it.

"Good. Next week, we'll start our research." Jasper said with a smile.

The conversation was obviously over. Esme went into the kitchen and Carlisle followed. Jasper was about to go back upstairs, but I stopped him.

"Jasper, how's Alice?" I asked uneasily, hoping Edward wouldn't interrupt Jasper's answer.

"Not good." he replied dully. "She's extremely upset."

"Do you know what's wrong?" I asked, biting my lip.

He stared. "I think you already know."

And then he was gone. I stared after him, and then I felt Edward's arms wrap around me from behind.

"Don't worry about _Alice_." his voice was icy. "She'll be fine."

I sighed, looking down at the floor. She was probably upstairs, crying. Tearless, broken sobs. I could almost hear it; almost see her face...

I pulled away from Edward and twisted around to shoot daggers at him.

"Edward Anthony Cullen, you are an _asshole_." I said through my teeth.

And then I ran upstairs.

**-x-**

**This chapter feels... bleh. I don't know, I worked hard on it, but it feels boring or something. It's really important though!**

**Anyway, please review with your thoughts! And check out my formspring! The link is on my profile. You can ask me ANYTHING, even if you don't have a formspring account. :)**

**-Catherine**


	19. Finals

Hey guys! So you're all probably wondering where the hell I've been for a month. The answer to that? Shut up in my room, studying like crazy.

Yes everyone. It's that time of year; finals. Ugh.

Just wanted to let you guys know that a Change update will come as soon as finals are done, which isn't that far off. Hope you guys understand. Right now, all I can do is cram cram cram. xD

:)

-Catherine


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